CONVERTED 


Wi^t  Sfatngbon  3&eligtoufi(  Cbucatton  (ETextsf 
Babtb  ^.  Botonep,  (General  Cbttot 

COMMUNITY  TRAINING  SCHOOL  SERIES.      NORMAN  E.  RICHARDSON.  Editor 


Organization    and 

Administration 

of  Religious  Education 

JOHN  ELBERT  STOUT 

Professor  ot  Administration  in  Religious  Education 
Northwestern  University 


tW«x»»»^>wi 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


57 


Copyright,  1922,  by 

JOHN  ELBERT  STOUT 

AU  Rights  Reierved 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


First  Edition  Printed  January,  192a 
Reprinted  June,  1922 


CONTENTS 

chapter  page 

Editor's  Introduction 7 

Author's  Preface 9 

I.  The  Church  as  an  Instrument  of  Social  Service.  .     13 

The  functions  of  the  church — Religion  conceived 
in  social  terms — Religion  and  life — ^The  social  task 
— Relation  of  the  church  to  the  task — The  program 
of  the  church — Appeal  of  a  program — Formulation 
of  a  program — Limitations  of  the  present  treatment. 

II.  The  Educational  Function  of  the  Church 25 

Present  emphasis  upon  education — Extension  of 
public  education — Interrelation  of  religion  and  edu- 
cation— Separation  of  church  and  state — Evidence 
of  lack  of  religious  element — Extension  of  religious 
instruction — More  adequate  program  needed — Re- 
ligious education  a  function  of  the  church — Service 
of  the  church  to  education — Service  of  education  to 
the  church. 

III.  The  Aims  of  Religious  Education 37 

Aims  of  education  being  redefined — Not  defined  in 
a  single  term — Two-fold  piupose  of  religious  education 
— Ultimate  and  immediate  goals — Ultiniate  aims 
stated  in  terms  of  dispositions  and  abilities — To 
maintain  health  and  physical  fitness — To  use  leisure 
time  in  right  ways — To  contribute  to  the  work  of 
the  world — To  sustain  social  relationships — To  ac- 
quire and  maintain  church  membership — Immediate 
aims  conceived  in  terms  of  acquiring  and  developing 
— Acquiring  fruitful  knowledge— Developing  atti- 
tudes, interests  and  appreciations — Developing  ideals 
and  motives — Acquiring  habits  and  skills — ^Achieving 
character — Individual  differences — Universal  educa- 
tion. 

IV.  A  Program  of  Religious  Education 60 

Program  standards — Principles  of  program  making 
— Extent  of  the  program — A  commtmity  task — Need 
of  imified  program — Program  not  identical  for  all 
churches — Two-fold  aim — Extension  of  time — ^Week- 
day instruction — School  credit  for  religious  instruc- 
tion— Minimum   time  required — Curricula  need   re- 


4922G0 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

vision — Principles  of  curricula  making — Specifications 
or  guides — Sources  of  subject  matter — Types  of 
material — Mind  of  child  determining  factor — Im- 
portance of  permanent  and  attractive  form — Organ- 
ization of  curricula — Two  curricula — Correlation  with 
the  public  school — Task  of  reconstruction. 

V.  The  Organization  of  the  Community 85 

Education  conceived  in  social  terms — Religious 
instruction  an  integral  part  of  education — The  com- 
munity Council — Two  determining  factors  in  organ- 
ization— Existing  community  organizations — Funda- 
mental characteristics  of  organization — Agencies  in 
carrying  out  the  program — Church  Schools— Com- 
munity schools— Organization  within  the  Council — 
Board  of  Religious  Education — Qualifications  and 
functions — Executive  officer — Qualifications  and  func- 
tions— Financial  support — Sources  of  funds — Impor- 
tance of  permanent  sources. 

VI.  Community  Week-Day  Schools 113 

Extending  the  influence  of  education — An  educa- 
tional movement — Correlating  work  of  home  and 
school — Reorganization  of  outside  activities — The 
Bible  study  movement — Plans  of  conducting  this 
work — Fundamental  principles — Necessity  of  week- 
day instruction — Factors  involved  in  organization — 
Available  resources — Time  schedules — Religious  in- 
struction and  the  public  school  program — Formulation 
of  week-day  programs — ^Organization  of  curricula — 
Gradation  of  pupils — Buildings  and  equipment — Use 
of  public  school  buildings — Examples  of  community 
schools — Success  of  week-day  schools. 

VII.  The  Church  School 139 

Church  school  standards — Influence  of  week-day 
schools — Program  of  the  church  school — Scope  of 
work — Program  not  limited  to  instruction — Time 
schedule — The  one  hour  session — Distribution  of 
time — Church  school  curricula — Need  of  reorganiza- 
tion—Three types  of  material — Organization  and 
administration — The  church  as  an  educational  agency 
— Importance  of  the  teaching  function — Reorganiza- 
tion within  the  school — A  single  administrative  tmit 
— A  single  administrative  board. 

VIII.  The  Training  of  Teachers 157 

Public  school  experience — Growth  of  teacher  train- 
ing facilities — Standardizing  agencies — Importance  of 
teacher   training — Aims   of   teacher   training — Social 

4 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

and  scientific  attitudes — Important  objectives  in 
teacher  training — Two  classes  of  students — Courses 
grouped  under  two  heads — Organized  means  of 
teacher  training — Extension  and  improvement  of 
means — Higher  institutions — Local  training  schools — 
Community  training  schools — Examples  of  training 
schools — Church  schools  to  supplement  other  means 
—-Coordinating  the  work — Church  schools  as  the 
only  means — Teachers'  meetings — Reading  courses 
— Meetings  and  conferences — Summer  schools — Sys- 
tematic supervision — Organization,  administration,  and 
supervision  of  training  schools — Lack  of  trained 
workers — Director  of  the  work — Proper  standards. 

IX.  Selection  and  Supervision  of  Teachers 185 

The  task  of  selecting  teachers — Definite  standards 
needed — ^Application  of  standards — Practical  difficul- 
ties involved — Qualifications  of  teachers — Special  qual- 
ifications— Personal  characteristics — Means  of  rating 
teachers — Supervision  of  teachers — Need  and  function 
of  supervision  of  teachers — Relations  in  which  super- 
vision is  exercised — Supervision  of  class-room  work — 
In  matters  of  discipline — Social  and  recreational  activ- 
ities— Physical  conditions — Principles  governing  in 
supervision — Methods  of  supervision — Demonstration 
lessons — Teachers'  meetings — Meeting  the  situation. 

X.  Administrative  Management  of  Pupils 211 

Different  conditions  kept  in  mind — Importance  of 
school  enrollment — The  school  survey — Making  the 
school  accessible — Appeal  to  interest — Compulsory 
attendance — Enrollment  in  church  and  community 
schools — Survey  necessary — Adequate  facilities — In- 
terest of  parents  and  pupils — Regularity  and  pimctual- 
ity  in  attendance — Interest  again — Appeal  of  the 
school — Spirit  of  the  school — Cooperation  of  parents 
— Cooperation  of  other  schools — Gradation  and  pro- 
motion— Standards  in  grading  pupils — Proper  classifi- 
cation-;-Gradation  and  promotion  in  religious 
education — Means  of  improving  conditions — Retarda- 
tion and  elimination  of  pupils — Need  of  standards — 
The  problem  of  elimination — Causes  determined — 
Remedies  applied — School  discipline — Causes  of  poor 
discipline — The  functions  of  school  discipline — Nature 
of  the  problem. 

XI.  Religious  Education  in  Higher  Institutions 247 

Original  purpose  of  denominational  colleges — Pres- 
ent curricula — Causes  of  change  in  policy— Opportun- 
ity for  a  liberal  education — The  rehgious  element — 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

Training  for  vocations — Training  for  avocations — 
Reconstruction  of  curricula — Need  of  fundamental 
change — Instruction  in  religion — Courses  preparing 
for  service — Needs  of  two  classes  of  workers — Pre- 
requisites to  courses  in  religious  education — Minimum 
hours  constituting  a  imit — Conspectus  of  under- 
graduate courses — Proposed  list  of  courses — Providing 
majors  and  minors — Number  and  sequence  of  courses 
— Requirements  of  standardizing  agencies — Graduate 
courses — Distinction  between  elementary  and  ad- 
vanced courses — ^Administration  of  courses — Separate 
Department — Courses  administered  by  other  de- 
partments. 

XII.  Conclusion 272 

The  religious  motive  in  education — Realization  of 
the  need — Demand  for  extension  of  program — Re- 
ligious education  a  public  enterprise — The  educational 
method  in  religion — Present  enrollment  in  church 
schools — Buildings  and  equipment — Financial  support 
— Lack  of  educational  organization — Future  develop- 
ment— Increasing  importance  of  the  Sunday  school — 
Extension  of  week-day  instruction. 

Bibliography 281 

Index 285 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

Upon  the  Christian  Church  of  America  there  rests 
the  responsibility  of  nurturing  the  religious  life  of  the 
American  people.  This  responsibility  is  created  by 
the  essential  nature  of  the  materials  of  which  the 
church  is  the  custodian  and  by  the  constitutional  pro- 
vision by  which  the  state  is  prevented  from  undertak- 
ing to  transmit  religion  to  the  coming  generation  of 
citizens.  Furthermore,  the  significance  of  this  primary 
responsibility  of  the  church  is  recognized  by  the  leaders 
in  the  field  of  general  education  and  by  a  rapidly  in- 
creasing number  of  other  forward-looking  citizens  who 
look  upon  religious  illiteracy  as  a  national  menace. 

Brought  face  to  face  with  this  responsibility  and  at 
a  time  when  the  need  of  religion  in  our  national  life 
is  particularly  apparent,  the  church  confronts  the  prac- 
tical necessity  of  formulating  a  clear  conception  of  the 
objectives  of  its  educational  program  and  of  the 
means  by  which  these  objectives  can  be  reached  most 
quickly  and  with  the  least  expenditure  of  money  and 
energy. 

The  real  leaders  of  the  church  will  readily  recognize 
the  fact  that  this  task  must  be  conceived  in  terms  of  a 
gigantic  educational  project — one  that  involves  a  suit- 
able policy  and  technique.  It  is  not  enough  to  labor 
with  prophetic  passion  to  keep  alive  the  souls  of  the 
adult  members  of  the  congregation.  To  reclaim  thou- 
sands of  adults  while  millions  of  children  are  allowed 
to  grow  up  as  moral  and  religious  illiterates  is  not  the 
present-day  program  of  the  church.     To  reclaim  the 

7 


EDITOR'S  IISITRODUCTION 

fag  ends  of  misspent  lives  cannot  be  rationally  justified 
as  the  chief  business  of  a  church  into  whose  homes  are 
born  those  little  ones  of  whom  Jesus  said,  "Of  such  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven."  Conservation  rather  than 
reclamation  is  the  church's  first  and  primary  obligation. 
It  is  this  educational  function  of  the  church  which 
Professor  Stout  has  placed  squarely  before  those  who 
are  responsible  for  its  organization  and  administration. 
With  the  scientific  insight  of  a  trained  educational 
administrator  he  has  laid  bare  the  problems  of  defining 
objectives,  formulating  policies  and  programs,  organ- 
izing the  personal  resources,  extending  the  present  pro- 
gram so  as  to  include  week-day  and  vacation  schools, 
selecting,  training  and  supervising  teachers,  and  the 
administrative  management  of  pupils.  It  is  fortunate 
to  have  brought  to  bear  upon  these  problems  the  knowl- 
edge and  technique  of  an  experienced  school  admin- 
istrator. This  book  will  be  recognized  by  all  who  are 
conversant  with  modern  educational  practice  as  au- 
thoritative in  this  field. 

Norman  E.  Richardson. 


8 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

Whatever  we  would  have  in  our  national  life  we 
must  first  put  into  our  program  of  education.  This 
fundamental  principle  is  universally  accepted  as  ap- 
plied to  civic,  moral,  and  vocational  life.  It  is  no  less 
valid  as  applied  to  religious  life.  We  are  now  coming 
to  recognize  this  application,  and  the  result  is  wide- 
spread interest  in  the  organization  and  administration 
of  programs  of  religious  education  which  will  provide 
adequate  religious  instruction  for  American  children 
and  youth. 

This  volume  undertakes  to  deal  with  some  of  the 
chief  factors  involved  in  the  organization  and  admin- 
istration of  religious  education  programs.  No  claim 
is  made  either  of  completeness  or  finality.  All  the 
author  has  attempted  to  do  is  to  treat  in  as  much  detail 
as  the  limits  of  the  volume  will  permit,  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  educational  organization  and  ad- 
ministration as  applied  to  the  particular  problem  in 
hand. 

It  seems  obvious  that  the  only  way  to  secure  the 
proper  functioning  of  the  religious  motive  in  education 
is  to  use  effectively  the  educational  method  in  religion. 
The  various  problems  dealt  with  in  the  book  have  there- 
fore been  treated  from  the  educational  point  of  view. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  fundamental  assump- 
tions which  have  been  made: 

1.  That  religious  instruction  should  be  regarded  as 
an  integral  part  of  the  education  of  every  child. 

2.  That  religious  education,  like  all  other  kinds,  can 

9 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

be  carried  on  successfully  only  under  certain  specified 
conditions  as  to  aims,  curriculum,  method,  teaching 
force,  and  supervision. 

3.  That  these  conditions  cannot  be  secured  unless 
schools  are  properly  organized  and  intelligently  ad- 
ministered. 

4.  That  religious  education  should  be  regarded  as  a 
community  enterprise  in  the  sense  that  everybody  in 
the  community  seeking  the  welfare  of  its  childhood 
and  youth  ought  to  be  interested  in  their  proper  reli- 
gious nurture  and  training. 

5.  That  the  churches  of  the  community  constitute 
the  chief  agencies  for  providing  adequate  religious 
instruction. 

6.  That  public-school  experience  may  be  made  a  val- 
uable asset  in  our  attempt  to  reorganize  religious  edu- 
cation. Two  reasons  for  this  assumption  are  appar- 
ent :  ( I )  There  are  certain  fundamental  principles 
involved  in  the  successful  organization  and  adminis- 
tration of  educational  programs  of  all  kinds;  and  (2) 
the  public  schools  have  worked  out  a  successful  tech- 
nique which,  if  properly  adapted,  will  be  found  ex- 
tremely useful  in  the  field  of  religious  education. 

A  large  share  of  attention,  relatively,  has  been  de- 
voted to  three  topics,  namely,  the  aims  of  religious 
education;  selection,  training,  and  supervision  of 
teachers ;  and  the  administrative  management  of  pupils. 

Two  outstanding  purposes  are  conceived  for  reli- 
gious instruction:  (i)  To  assist  the  public  school  in 
achieving  its  aims;  and  (2)  to  achieve  certain  aims 
peculiar  to  the  functions  of  religion.  This  point  of 
view  led  the  author  to  consider  the  aims  of  education 
as  a  whole,  of  which  religious  instruction  is  a  neces- 
sary, vital,  and  integral  part. 

10 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

The  relatively  large  portion  of  the  book  devoted  to 
teachers  and  pupils  seems  justified  on  the  ground  of  the 
great  importance  of  these  factors  in  any  fruitful  dis- 
cussion of  educational  organization  and  administration. 

One  of  the  great  advances  made  in  modern  educa- 
tion is  the  introduction  of  the  scientific  method  in  deal- 
ing with  pupils.  No  less  marked  has  been  the  emphasis 
upon  the  importance  of  trained  teachers,  proper  stand- 
ards for  use  in  their  selection,  and  a  scientific  technique 
for  their  supervision.  Those  who  work  in  the  field  of 
religious  education  will  find  this  experience  of  public- 
school  administrators  and  teachers  a  fruitful  source 
of  information  and  encouragement. 

Evanston,  Illinois.  J.  E.  S. 


II 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  CHURCH  AS  AN  INSTRUMENT  OF 
SOCIAL  SERVICE 

What  part  is  the  church  to  play  in  the  great  task  of 
social  progress?  This  question  is  in  the  minds  of  a 
multitude  not  only  within  the  church  but  without  it  as 
well.  That  there  is  general  expectation  that  it  will  play 
a  larger  part  than  at  present  is  apparent.  The  church 
is  making  extensive  plans  manifested  by  increasingly 
larger  budgets  and  the  setting  up  of  administrative  ma- 
chinery through  which  it  hopes  to  render  a  more  sig- 
nificant service.  Outside  the  immediate  leadership  of 
the  church  many  are  hoping  that  it  will  come  into  a 
more  definite  position  of  influence  in  the  solution  of 
our  great  social  problems.  An  increasing  number  of 
people  are  looking  to  the  church  for  leadership  with 
clearly  defined  goals  and  wisely  selected  means  for 
reaching  them. 

This  evidence  that  the  leadership  of  the  church  is 
conscious  of  larger  responsibility  is  extremely  encour- 
aging. The  fact  that  its  constituency  is  ready  to  re- 
spond to  a  competent  leadership  is  equally  significant. 
Lying  back  of  these  more  objective  manifestations  of 
responsibility  and  expectation  is  something  even  more 
significant.  This  more  significant  thing  consists  of 
definite  questions  concerning  the  what  and  the  how 
of  the  program  of  the  church.  People  are  insistingly 
asking,  What  contribution  can  the  church  make?  and 
How  docs  it  propose  to  make  it?    In  what  terms  is 

13 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

the  task  of  the  church  conceived  ?  What  are  the  objec- 
tives being  set  up?  What  are  the  plans  and  programs 
proposed  ?  These  are  vital  questions,  and  upon  the  an- 
swers will  depend  the  success  or  failure  of  the  enter- 
prises of  the  church.  The  purpose  of  the  present  chap- 
ter is  to  direct  attention  to  these  questions. 

THE  FUNCTIONS  OF  THE  CHURCH 

A  clear  determination  of  the  functions  of  the 
church  in  modern  society  lies  at  the  heart  of  intelli- 
gent answers  to  the  questions  suggested  above.  The 
mere  fact  that  its  activities  are  being  multiplied  or  that 
some  of  these  activities  are  becoming  intensified  or 
enlarged  does  not  in  itself  mean  that  its  power  in 
modern  society  is  being  increased  and  well  directed. 
It  is  only  when  its  objectives  are  clearly  determined  and 
means  to  attain  these  objectives  wisely  selected  that 
its  activities  can  be  properly  evaluated.  What  are  the 
new  demands,  or  age-long  demands  with  new  meanings 
and  new  emphases,  being  made  upon  the  church  ?  This 
question  can  be  best  answered  by  directing  our  inquiry 
to  religion  itself. 

Religion  conceived  in  sodal  tenns. — Religion  is 
being  conceived  largely  in  social  terms.  The  emo- 
tional and  intellectual  factors  are  no  less  important 
than  they  have  always  been,  but  they  are  being  called 
upon  more  and  more  to  express  themselves  in  concrete 
social  situations  where  wrongs  are  to  be  righted,  jus- 
tice secured,  and  righteousness  promoted.  A  church 
which  boasts  of  its  intellectual  freedom  is  only  dis- 
playing its  institutional  vanity  unless  this  freedom  is 
directed  toward  the  functioning  of  truth  in  social  rela- 
tionships.  Likewise  a  church  which  assumes  authority 

14 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE 

to  deny  its  membership  intellectual  freedom  and  con- 
ceives its  chief  function  to  be  the  preservation  of  an 
ancient  faith,  must  assume  the  responsibility  of  making 
this  faith  a  great  propulsive  force  directed  toward 
social  righteousness.  The  church  which  stresses  the 
importance  of  emotional  fervor  manifests  only  its  stu- 
pidity, unless  this  becomes  a  power  directed  toward 
bringing  in  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  And,  finally, 
any  church,  to  whatever  type  it  may  belong,  that  finds 
its  chief  concern  in  establishing  and  maintaining  insti- 
tutional machinery  has  failed  to  sense  the  modern  de- 
mands upon  the  Christian  religion. 

Religion  and  life. — That  vital  religion  has  not  and 
is  not  now  dominating  the  life  of  great  masses  of  in- 
dividuals and  of  nations  is  perfectly  apparent.  And 
by  vital  religion  is  meant,  religion  as  defined  in  the 
life  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  What  are  the  essential 
facts  of  Jesus'  life  and  what  did  he  really  teach?  For- 
tunately, men  the  world  over  are  seriously  and  insist- 
ently asking  this  question  as  they  have  not  done  before. 
But  they  are  not  stopping  here  in  their  questionings. 
How  can  religion  thus  defined  and  conceived  be  made 
to  function  more  effectively  in  the  lives  of  individuals? 
What  does  it  have  to  offer  in  the  solution  of  modern 
social,  political,  and  economic  problems?  The  prim- 
ary function  of  the  church  is  to  answer  these  questions. 
If  it  fails  at  this  point,  it  will  ignominiously  fail  as  an 
instrument  of  social  service. 

The  social  task. — The  great  world  task  is  social 
betterment.  Men  and  women  in  increasing  numbers 
are  becoming  conscious  of  the  fundamental  meaning 
and  nature  of  this  task.  This  explains  in  part  at  least 
why  there  is  such  widespread  dissatisfaction  with  the 
present   performance    of    institutions,    including   the 

15 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

church,  through  which  the  process  of  social  regenera- 
tion must  be  carried  forward.  They  recognize  that  the 
things  in  which  they  have  placed  their  faith  and  upon 
which  they  have  built  their  hopes  have  in  and  of  them- 
selves failed  to  create  a  satisfactory  social  order. 
Solemn  treaties  have  become  mere  "scraps  of  paper/* 
laws  are  openly  violated,  and  agreements  ruthlessly 
broken.  International  agreements,  peace  conferences, 
constitutions,  statute  laws,  supposedly  accepted  political 
and  economic  principles  have  all  failed  to  prevent  war 
and  to  curb  greed  and  selfishness.  They  have  failed  to 
function  properly  in  individual  and  corporate  life  and 
to  control  class  hatred  and  strife.  Even  education  it- 
self, upon  which  we  had  come  to  place  chief  reliance, 
has  shared  in  the  common  failure  to  secure  the  new 
social  order. 

There  must  be  something  more  fundamental  and 
powerful  than  these  things,  vital  and  indispensable  as 
they  all  are.  Hence  the  questionings  of  men  con- 
cerning the  values  in  religion  and  their  challenge  to  the 
church. 

Relation  of  the  church  to  the  task. — The  substance 
of  the  answer  to  the  question  concerning  the  function 
of  the  church  has  already  been  implied.  It  is  to  inter- 
pret truly  and  adequately  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Jesus,  cause  his  ideals  and  motives  to  dominate  in  the 
lives  of  individuals,  and  to  make  effective  the  func- 
tioning of  these  ideals  and  motives  in  all  social  relation- 
ships. The  latter  includes  God  as  well  as  men.  In 
the  mind  of  Jesus  the  fatherhood  of  God  was  insepar- 
able from  the  brotherhood  of  man.  Fellowship  with 
God  and  men — all  men — was  the  final  terms  in  which 
Jesus  conceived  religion.  His  dual  command  was  to 
love  God  and  one's  neighbors,  and  he  declared  that  the 

i6 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE 

supreme  evidence  of  this  love  is  found  in  service  to 
one's  fellows. 

The  forms  which  this  answer  takes  are  extremely 
important.  It  must  be  stated  in  terms  that  will  enlist 
the  interest,  command  the  confidence,  and  justify  the 
hopes  of  all  those  to  whom  the  church  would  minister. 
Three  things,  at  least,  insistently  demand  attention. 

1.  The  church,  if  it  would  get  a  hearing  from 
modern  men,  must  think  and  speak  in  a  modern  lan- 
guage.^ They  are  not  thinking  or  evaluating  life  and 
conduct  in  terms  of  mediaeval  theology.  They  are 
thinking  and  evaluating  in  terms  of  present-day  life. 
Biology  and  psychology  have  revealed  and  are  con- 
tinuing to  reveal  facts  about  human  life  which  have 
not  only  great  scientific  interest  but  tremendous  reli- 
gious import.  Sociology  has  for  its  field  social  rela- 
tionships, and  its  contributions  have  great  value  for 
the  modern  church.  Men  as  never  before  are  thinking 
in  social  as  well  as  scientific  terms.  The  thought  of 
our  age  can  be  interpreted  adequately  only  in  an  appro- 
priate terminology.  Sin  and  salvation,  redemption  and 
righteousness,  saved  and  lost  must  be  interpreted  in  a 
language  that  falls  on  understanding  ears.  Men  both 
in  their  individual  capacities  and  in  their  social  rela- 
tionships of  all  sorts  need  to  be  called  to  repentance  in 
a  tongue  they  will  understand.  Jesus  spoke  in  a  lan- 
guage familiar  to  his  hearers.  Will  the  church  in  a 
larger  measure  than  it  is  now  doing  follow  the  exam- 
ple?   An  affirmative  answer  is  already  assured. 

2.  The  church  must  have  a  thoroughly  modernized 
system  of  truth. ^  To  abandon  archaic  language  and  to 
modify  the  form  in  which  truth  is  stated  does  not 

iTittle,  Ernest  P.,  What  Must  the  Church  Do  to  Be  Saved  f  pp.  13-14. 
*Ibid.,  pp.  X4-22. 

17 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

make  it  necessary  to  dispense  with  formulated  truth 
which  we  are  accustomed  to  call  theology.  It  does 
mean,  however,  that  this  truth  when  so  formulated 
must  square  at  every  point  with  the  established  and 
generally  accepted  facts  of  modern  life.  Any  assump- 
tion presupposing  that  religious  truth,  unlike  all  other 
kinds  of  truth,  is  capable  of  no  development  or  expan- 
sion is  unwarranted.  If  a  growing,  developing,  out- 
reaching  world  is  to  be  undergirded,  motivated,  and 
directed  by  a  religion,  that  religion  must  be  one  whose 
body  of  truth  is  of  the  same  dynamic  sort.  Old  forms 
may  have  to  be  discarded  not  only  to  permit  the  intro- 
duction of  new  truth,  but  also  to  make  possible  the 
functioning  of  the  old.  Biblical  scholarship,  scientific 
research,  and  sociological  endeavor  are  making  con- 
stant contributions  of  inestimable  value. 

The  attitude  of  the  church  as  a  whole  toward  this 
problem  of  social  regeneration  is  encouraging.  Mul- 
titudes of  forward-looking  men  and  women  realize  the 
great  value  that  these  contributions  have  for  the  work 
of  the  church.  They  know  full  well  that  the  church 
cannot  negate  or  even  ignore  the  intellectual  stimulus 
furnished  by  modern  scholarship.  Its  message  is  al- 
ready taking  such  form  as  to  stimulate  thought  on 
religious  themes  and  to  give  men  and  women  an  intel- 
lectual life  within  the  church. 

3.  Religious  truth  must  enter  more  largely  into  and 
become  an  integral  part  of  the  whole  body  of  truth. 
This  means  first  of  all  that  the  church  must  deal  with 
all  truth  as  it  relates  to  modern  life.  It  must  not  only 
recognize  and  accept  it  from  whatever  source  it  may 
come,  but  must  make  it  minister  to  the  spiritual  needs 
of  all  classes  and  conditions  of  men.  Its  mission  is 
not  only  to  teach  but  to  interpret.    The  former  func- 

18 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE 

tion  is  naturally  limited  in  its  scope.  Other  agencies 
share  in  the  responsibility.  The  latter  rightfully  con- 
ceived has  no  limitations  except  those  belonging  to 
truth  itself.  In  its  more  inclusive  ministry  it  should 
give  the  Christian  interpretation  to  all  truth.  It  is  only 
thus  that  the  Chrisian  ideal  can  be  made  to  function 
in  the  thought  and  conduct  of  men. 

This  is  an  enormous  task  confronting  the  church. 
The  field  of  science  alone  presents  a  great  body  of 
truth,  yet  largely  untouched  by  the  church  in  its  min- 
istry of  interpretation.  Human  nature  as  revealed  by 
biology  and  psychology  calls  for  explanation  in  terms 
of  its  spiritual  meaning  and  significance.  Social  rela- 
tionships have  become  so  complex  that  a  body  of  knowl- 
edge and  experiences  is  being  formulated,  dealing  with 
these  in  a  constructive  way.  Men  and  women  are  at- 
tempting to  think  in  terms  of  these  relationships  in  a 
degree  they  have  never  attempted  before.  All  this 
vast  complex  of  knowledge  and  experience  with  which 
men  are  attempting  to  deal  calls  for  interpretations  in 
terms  of  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  A  Christian- 
ized social  order  must  first  of  all  exist  in  the  personal 
ideals  and  aspiration  of  those  who  are  to  bring  it  about 
It  must  first  animate  the  thought  of  a  generation  before 
it  can  become  a  reality  in  its  social  relationships. 

In  this  relation  the  church  not  only  has  responsibility 
in  the  present  but  for  the  future.  Those  who  are  now 
in  our  public  schools  and  higher  institutions  of  learn- 
ing are  acquiring  knowledge  and  experience  of  one 
kind  and  another  which  will  determine  in  large  measure 
their  thought,  life,  and  conduct  when  they  assume  the 
responsibility  of  adult  membership  in  society.  What 
is  the  church  doing  to  help  interpret  the  facts  being 
learned  and  the  experience  acquired  ? 

19 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

If  the  study  of  science  is  leading  to  materialism 
whose  fault  is  it?  If  a  knowledge  of  the  facts  or 
fancies  of  psychology  leads  to  belief  in  the  ouija  board, 
who  is  to  blame?  If  a  knowledge  of  and  experience 
in  the  social  life  of  our  times  results  in  theories  destruc- 
tive to  the  stability  of  any  properly  conceived  social 
order,  what  is  the  remedy?  And,  finally,  if  God  is 
being  forgotten  and  Christ  rejected — in  short,  if  a 
knowledge  of  and  vital  experience  in  religion  is  not  a 
part  of  all  knowledge  and  experience,  what  is  the 
reason  therefor?  A  vitally  religious  life  means  an 
interpretation  of  all  phases  of  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence in  terms  of  a  vital  religion.  It  is  the  supreme 
function  of  the  church  to  furnish  this  interpretation. 

THE  PROGRAM  OF  THE  CHURCH 

A  modern  program  commensurate  with  the  task  of 
the  church  is  imperative.  By  program  is  not  meant 
merely  a  statement  of  large  objectives  to  be  reached. 
The  adding  of  one  million  or  five  millions  to  the  mem- 
bership of  the  church  is  a  worthy  objective,  assuming 
that  this  number  is  thereby  added  to  the  Kingdom. 
Raising  funds  aggregating  millions  or  hundreds  of 
millions  to  be  used  for  worthy  purposes  is  a  laudable 
enterprise.  Building  up  organizations  anticipating  the 
use  of  large  numbers  of  consecrated  men  and  women 
to  carry  forward  the  work  of  the  church  is  commend- 
able. The  federation  of  the  churches  is  one  of  the  most 
hopeful  signs  of  the  times.  But  none  of  these  in  and 
of  themselves  or  all  taken  together  constitute  a  pro- 
gram. It  is  not  meant  to  imply  that  programs  are  not 
being  worked  out  and  formulated.  The  purpose  is, 
rather,  to  point  out  the  extreme  importance  of  the  fact 
that  the  value  of  the  answer  which  the  church  makes 

20 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE 

to  the  present  challenge  depends  in  the  last  analysis 
upon  its  detailed  program  of  service. 

Appeal  of  a  program. — The  program  is  the  matter 
in  which  people  are  primarily  interested.  They  want 
to  know  not  only  the  details  concerning  what  is  to  be 
done  but  also  how  it  is  to  be  done.  Any  proposition, 
therefore,  which  is  presented  in  the  form  of  a  program 
having  in  it  the  promise  of  being  effective  makes  a  suc- 
cessful appeal.  Neither  the  bigness  of  an  undertaking 
nor  difficulties  to  be  surmounted  deters  men  and  women 
of  our  generation.  The  thing  that  does  fail  to  arouse 
interest  and  enlist  support  is  hazy  ill-defined  objec- 
tives and  ineffective  means  of  accomplishment. 

People  of  our  time  and  country  do  not  lack  faith. 
They  are  not  afraid  to  venture  forth  on  great  enter- 
prises. If  many  seem  to  lack  religious  faith,  it  is  not 
improbable  that  it  is  because  they  have  not  been  chal- 
lenged. If  the  church  would  enlist  the  faith  of  men 
by  directing  that  great  propulsive  force  of  life  toward 
religious  ends,  it  can  do  so  only  by  furnishing  a  pro- 
gram whose  objectives  appeal  to  their  imagination  and 
the  means  of  accomplishment  to  their  judgment. 

Formulation  of  a  program. — The  formulation  of  a 
program  must  first  of  all  take  into  account  what  needs 
to  be  done,  which  the  church  cooperating  with  other 
institutions  or  acting  upon  its  own  initiative  can  do 
effectively.  Stated  briefly,  social  reconstruction  is  the 
inclusive  objective  toward  which  we  are  striving.  But 
this  means  also  individual  reconstruction.  A  new 
social  order  is  conditioned  upon  the  cooperation  of  in- 
dividuals who  have  both  the  disposition  and  ability  to 
secure  and  maintain  it.  Any  program  set  up  by  the 
church  which  does  not  recognize  this  as  the  funda- 
mental task,  in  the  sense  that  first  things  must  come 

21 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

first,  will  not  get  very  far.  What,  then,  in  detail  are 
the  objectives  and  methods  of  the  program? 

I.  The  program  must  include  provisions  for  enrich- 
ing and  vitalizing  the  lives  of  individuals.  The  chief 
function  of  the  church  is  to  aid  people  in  attaining  to 
Christian  standards  of  personal  life  and  character.  At 
the  present  time  it  is  not  doing  this  effectively.  Multi- 
tudes are  not  touched  directly  by  its  influence.  This 
is  attested  by  the  fact  that  more  than  half  our  popula- 
tion has  no  membership  in  the  church  and  does  not 
participate  in  its  activities.  More  than  this,  approxi- 
mately three- fourths  of  the  children  and  youth  are  not 
enrolled  in  Sunday  schools  or  other  schools  of  reli- 
gious instruction.  Added  to  this  is  another  fiact, 
namely,  that  many  who  are  nominally  within  the 
church  either  because  of  lack  of  disposition  or  ability 
or  both  are  not  promoting  the  new  social  order.  Still 
further,  the  children  and  youth  who  are  enrolled  in  the 
schools  are  not  receiving  instruction  adequate  in 
amount  or  sufficiently  vital  in  character.  This  is  not 
meant  to  express  lack  of  appreciation  of  what  the  Sun- 
day school  is  accomplishing.  Neither  is  it  intended  as 
any  reflection  upon  the  good  work  being  done  by  mul- 
titudes of  officers  and  teachers.  We  might  just  as  well 
face  the  facts,  however,  that  the  means  of  religious 
instruction  now  available  are  wholly  inadequate  to  meet 
the  imperative  needs  of  our  time.  More  will  be  said 
concerning  this  point  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

The  immediate  question  is  concerned  with  the  pro- 
gram of  the  church  for  vitalizing  and  making  more 
effective  the  lives  of  individuals.  It  must  undergird 
life  with  religious  motives  and  ideals  in  a  much  more 
compelling  way  than  it  is  now  doing.  That  it  must  con- 
tinue to  burn  in  the  hearts  of  men  and  women  the  story 

22 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE 

of  the  prodigal  son  and  thereby  win  them  back  to 
decency  and  God  is  entirely  obvious.  Its  program 
must  continue  to  include  means  and  methods  to  regen- 
erate life  that  has  lost  its  vital  contact  with  spiritual 
forces.  But  not  less — aye,  more — imperative  is  it  that 
the  church  generate  life — that  it  construct  as  well  as 
reconstruct.  The  task  of  saving  men  when  lost  is  a 
significant  one;  that  of  gripping  life  before  it  has  be- 
come sin-stained  and  broken  is  both  more  significant 
and  more  fruitful.  This  should  be  conceived  as  the 
supreme  task  of  the  church.  The  final  test  of  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  program  is  found  at  this  point.  It  must 
substitute  knowledge  for  ignorance  and  make  that 
knowledge  a  dynamic  force  in  the  formative  periods 
of  life.  Attitudes,  interests,  and  ideals  of  some  kind 
are  formed  early  in  life.  As  these  relate  to  religious 
life  and  experience,  their  inculcation,  growth,  and  de- 
velopment must  be  one  of  the  great  objectives  of  the 
program  of  the  church. 

2.  Any  effective  program  will  train  for  social  service 
in  far  larger  measure  than  is  now  being  done.  The 
ennobling  and  vitalizing  of  the  lives  of  individuals  has 
been  pointed  out  as  the  supreme  function  of  the  church. 
A  program  which  stops  or  even  halts  here  will  fail  to 
meet  the  demands  made  upon  it.  It  must  also  include 
provision  for  training  men  and  women  in  various  lines 
of  social  service  and  for  directing  them  in  this  service. 
It  must  continue  to  train  for  the  preaching  ministry 
and  more  adequately  than  it  is  now  doing.  The  sup- 
ply in  this  field  is  wholly  inadequate  to  the  demand. 
Not  only  this  but  the  stress  and  strain  brought  on  by 
the  demands  of  modern  life  reveals  that  many  now  in 
the  ministry  are  illy  trained  for  the  task.  Some 
indeed  do  not  seem  to  sense  in  an  adequate  way  either 

23 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

the  extent  or  character  of  the  task.  Whatever  the  per- 
centage of  ill-trained  ministers  may  be,  it  is  large 
enough  to  demand  that  the  program  for  the  training 
of  the  ministry  be  more  vitally  and  intelligently  con- 
ceived. 

When  we  turn  to  other  fields  of  religious  service 
comparatively  few  competent  workers  are  found. 
What  is  more  to  the  point  in  this  connection  is  that 
the  present  program  for  training  such  workers  is  ex- 
tremely meager.  There  are,  to  be  sure,  special  schools 
maintained  for  missionary  and  other  fields  of  social 
service.  But  these  schools  are  for  the  most  part 
meagerly  supported,  some  of  them  poorly  equipped, 
and  the  attendance  distressingly  small. 

LIMITATIONS  OF   THE   PRESENT  VOLUME 

The  limitations  of  the  present  treatment  makes 
impossible  a  discussion  of  the  entire  program  of  the 
church.  It  includes  reclamation  of  life  that  has  lost 
its  spiritual  contacts.  Great  emphasis  has  been  placed 
upon  this,  and  rightly  so.  Its  program  of  relief  to 
those  in  need  has  been  greatly  extended  in  recent 
years.  The  ministry  of  the  church  to  the  hungry  and 
sick  and  others  unfortunately  situated  must  be  con- 
tinued and  enlarged.  It  is  not,  however,  within  our 
province  to  consider  these  forms  of  its  ministry.  The 
educational  function  of  the  church  is  the  only  one  that 
engages  our  attention  in  the  present  relation.  The 
problem  presented  by  the  needs  of  both  individuals  and 
society  is  of  such  magnitude  and  difficulty  that  it  re- 
quires extended  treatment.  The  purpose  of  the  fol- 
lowing chapters  is  to  treat  the  problem  in  such  detail 
as  the  limits  of  the  volume  will  allow. 


24 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  EDUCATIONAL  FUNCTION  OF  THE 
CHURCH 

The  importance  of  the  educational  function  of  the 
church  has  been  implied  in  the  preceding  chapter.  In 
any  fruitful  discussion  of  the  need  for  a  clearly  defined 
program  of  the  church  education  must  of  necessity 
have  a  conspicuous  place.  The  purpose  of  the  present 
chapter  is  to  make  explicit  and  to  discuss  in  some  de- 
tail the  opportunity  and  responsibility  of  the  church  in 
relation  to  education. 

PRESENT  EMPHASIS  UPON  EDUCATION 

Education  is  being  relied  upon  as  never  before  as  a 
means  of  securing  individual  efficiency  and  social  bet- 
terment. As  a  people  we  have  committed  our  destiny 
to  education  in  a  remarkable  and  hitherto  unparalleled 
degree.  We  are  educating  for  citizenship,  for  voca- 
tions, for  avocations,  and  these  types  of  education  are 
being  differentiated  and  worked  out  more  and  more  in 
detail.  The  principle  which  we  have  adopted  is  in 
effect  as  follows :  Determine  what  children  should  he- 
come  in  personal  characteristics  and  in  social  disposi- 
tions and  abilities  and  then  educate  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  these  things.  The  state  has  fully  committed 
itself  to  this  principle. 

Extension  of  public  education. — The  increased 
and  constantly  increasing  extension  of  public  educa- 
tion is  a  matter  of  great  significance.     Multiplication 

25 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

of  schools,  their  more  efficient  organization  and  admin- 
istration, the  extension  and  enrichment  of  curricula, 
compulsory  attendance — these  are  some  of  the  objec- 
tive evidences  of  the  extreme  importance  we  are  attach- 
ing to  public  education.  And  in  this  effort  we  are  not 
seeking  to  secure  merely  general  intelligence.  The 
ends  sought  are  specific  and  clearly  defined.  Depend- 
ence is  no  longer  being  placed  upon  mere  ''discipline'* 
of  mental  powers  or  upon  a  general  "culture"  con- 
sisting of  a  knowledge  of  a  multitude  of  things. 
Health,  the  right  use  of  leisure  time,  vocational  and 
civic  efficiency  are  some  of  the  things  being  sought 
through  knowledge  bearing  directly  upon  them.  But 
we  are  not  stopping  here.  This  knowledge  when  ac- 
quired must  be  made  to  function  by  means  of  motives 
which  have  their  sources  in  proper  attitudes,  ideals, 
interests,  and  appreciations.  In  short,  the  inclusive 
goal  set  up  is  the  ability  to  live  rightly  through  knowl- 
edge plus  the  disposition  so  to  live  through  right  mo- 
tives. This  goal  is  wholly  worthy  and  its  achievement 
imperative.  But  the  public  school  is  now  falling  short 
and  will  continue  to  fall  short  of  accomplishment  in 
considerable  degree  because  an  absolutely  essential  type 
of  knowledge  is  excluded  from  its  curriculum  and  the 
inculcation  of  the  deepest  and  most  compelling  motives 
in  human  life  is  neglected.  Specific  instruction  in 
religion  is  given  no  place  in  the  public-school  program. 
This  is  a  fatal  defect  and  must  in  some  way  receive 
far  more  attention  than  it  is  receiving  at  the  present. 

INTERRELATION  OF  RELIGION  AND  EDUCATION 

No  argument  is  needed  to  establish  the  fact  that  reli- 
gion and  education  are  mutually  dependent.  Looking 
at  the  matter  historically,  the  above  statement  is  thor- 

26 


EDUCATIONAL  FUNCTION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

oughly  established.  The  history  of  both  the  church  and 
the  state  bears  abundant  evidence.  It  is  not  the  pur- 
pose here,  however,  to  go  into  the  history  of  the  matter, 
but,  rather,  to  point  out  that  the  religious  element  is 
necessarily  excluded  from  the  great  program  of  public 
education  in  this  country,  and  further,  to  show  that  this 
program  must  be  supplemented  by  a  program  of  reli- 
gious education  far  more  effective  than  exists  at  the 
present  and  to  suggest  how  such  a  program  can  be 
supplied. 

Separation  of  chtirch  and  state. — It  is  a  matter  of 
common  knowledge  that  the  growth  and  final  consum- 
mation of  the  separation  of  church  and  state  has  re- 
sulted in  the  entire  elimination  of  the  religious  element 
from  public  education.  This  does  not  mean  that  the 
public  school  is  either  in  intent  or  practice  irreligious. 
The  teachers  themselves  constitute  a  refutation  of  any 
charge  of  this  kind.  No  single  group  of  social  workers 
outside  the  ministry  itself  includes  among  its  mem- 
bers a  higher  percentage  of  men  and  women  thoroughly 
devoted  to  the  Christian  ideal  than  do  the  public- 
school  teachers  of  America.  The  personal  factor  is 
also  reen forced  by  an  avowed  attempt  through  the 
curriculum,  general  exercises,  and  other  activities  to 
give  moral  and  ethical  instruction  of  high  order. 

The  influence  of  both  personality  and  instruction, 
however,  is  falling  short  of  accomplishing  in  an  ade- 
quate way  even  ethical  and  moral  ends  desired. 
Wholesale  charges  of  immorality  in  the  public  schools 
sometimes  indulged  in  are  unjustified.  On  the  other 
hand,  their  failure  to  grip  the  lives  of  children  and 
youth  in  a  compelling  way  and  to  motivate  conduct 
adequately  is,  unfortunately,  abundantly  attested.  This 
failure  should  not  be  charged  chiefly  to  their  ineffi- 

27 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

ciency  as  educational  agencies  of  the  state,  but  rather 
to  the  limitations  under  which,  of  necessity,  they  carry 
on  their  work.  They  are  nonreligious  and  cannot  un- 
dergird  life  with  religious  ideals  and  motives. 

Evidence  of  lack  of  religious  element. — The  ab- 
sence of  the  religious  element  in  the  public  schools  is 
shown  in  two  ways : 

1.  Religious  instruction  in  general  is  prohibited  in 
any  tax-supported  institution  by  constitutional  provi- 
sion, legislative  enactment,  or  court  decision.  In  some 
States  even  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in  the  public 
schools  is  absolutely  prohibited.  In  others  perfunc- 
tory reading  of  the  Scriptures  is  permitted,  but  no  one 
acquainted  with  the  facts  will  claim  that  such  reading, 
where  practiced,  constitutes  an  effective  means  of  reli- 
gious teaching.  No  other  form  of  religious  instruc- 
tion, if,  indeed,  this  perfunctory  reading  may  be  called 
such,  is  contemplated  or  permitted. 

2.  An  examination  of  the  subjects  and  subject-mat- 
ter taught  in  the  public  schools  reveals  clearly  the  ab- 
sence of  religious  teaching.  This  fact  becomes  even 
more  apparent  when  a  comparison  with  the  curricula 
of  the  earHer  schools  is  made.  One  does  not  have 
to  go  back  very  far  to  find  textbooks  which  reveal 
that  one  of  the  distinct  purposes  was  to  teach  religion. 
The  New  England  Primer,  Noah  Webster's  Spelling 
Book,  and  other  texts  in  use  bear  evidence  to  the  above 
statement.  Some  of  the  earlier  high  schools  offered 
Christian  Evidences  and  Butler's  Analogy  as  subjects 
of  instruction.  The  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century 
approximately  marks  the  passing  of  these  and  similar 
subjects,  and  the  public  schools  became  wholly  secular 
so  far  as  their  curricula  are  concerned. 

It  is  true  that  certain  agencies  other  than  the  public 

28 


EDUCATIONAL  FUNCTION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

schools  are  attempting  to  supplement  their  work  by 
way  of  providing  religious  instruction.  These  efforts, 
however,  are  feeble  and  on  the  whole  ineffective. 
While  secular  instruction  has  been  greatly  extended 
and  enriched,  religious  instruction,  within  Protestant 
connections  at  least,  has  steadily  declined  in  compara- 
tive, if  not  in  actual,  extent  and  effectiveness. 

Extension  of  religious  instruction. — Religious  in- 
struction must  be  extended  and  made  more  effective. 
An  awakening  to  this  need  is  fortunately  now  taking 
place,  and  this  is  very  encouraging  to  the  cause  of  a 
more  vital  educational  program.  The  leaders  of  the 
church  and  also  public  school  administrators  and 
teachers  are  giving  voice  to  this  need.  In  company 
with  a  multitude  of  other  citizens  of  our  common- 
wealths, they  have  come  to  recognize  the  respect  in 
which  our  educational  system  is  most  defective, 
namely,  in  the  lack  of  the  distinctive  religious  element. 

There  must  continue  to  be  a  separation  between 
church  and  state  in  matters  pertaining  to  religion ;  but 
this  separation  must  not  be  allowed  to  result  in  a 
separation  of  religion  and  education.  Nor  can  it  longer 
be  allowed  even  to  subordinate  religious  instruction  to 
the  extent  to  which  such  subordination  now  exists. 
The  church  and  state  must  consciously  and  purposely 
unite  in  a  program  of  education  which  will  secure  to 
the  fullest  possible  extent  the  development  of  all  the 
powers  and  capacities  of  childhood  and  youth.  They 
must  he  united  as  to  ends  and  separate  hut  cooperative 
as  to  functions. 

More  adequate  program  needed. — A  more  ade- 
quate educational  program  than  now  exists  must  be 
secured  to  give  religion  the  necessary  emphasis  and  a 
plan  devised  to  make  this  program  effective.    How  can 

29 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

this  be  accomplished?  Only  by  the  church  assuming 
its  full  responsibility.  In  the  very  nature  of  things  the 
state  cannot  and  should  not  attempt  to  teach  religion. 
Legal  limitations  alone  make  this  impossible. 

But  if  these  were  removed,  there  remains  a  more 
fundamental  reason.  If  the  state  teaches  religion,  it 
must  of  necessity  be  a  state  religion.  This  would  result 
not  only  in  a  union  of  church  and  state  but  in  the 
absorption  of  the  church  by  the  state.  No  argument 
is  needed  to  demonstrate  that  no  such  thing  is  desirable 
or  even  possible  in  America.  The  public  school  with 
its  fine  educational  and  social  ideals  and  its  splendid 
achievements  must  inevitably  stop  short  of  providing 
a  complete  educational  program. 

Religious  education  a  function  of  the  church. — 
Religious  education  is  not  only  a  function  of  the 
church,  but  is  its  chief  function.^  The  word  *'educa- 
tion"  used  here  is  in  its  usually  accepted  sense.  It 
means  the  recognition  of  the  full  significance  of  the 
plasticity  of  childhood  and  youth  in  relation  to  the 
religion  of  adult  life  in  the  same  degree  that  the  state 
recognizes  it  in  relation  to  citizenship.  It  means  def- 
inite ends  to  be  attained  in  the  matter  of  personal  char- 
acteristics and  social  dispositions  and  abilities,  which 
ends  are  to  be  reached  through  a  program  of  instruc- 
tion and  activities.  It  means  that  this  program  shall 
be  adequate  both  in  character  and  extent  to  secure  the 
fullest  possible  development  of  children  and  youth  into 
what  the  church  wants  them  to  become.  In  short,  it 
means  that  the  church  shall  become  committed  wholly 
to  the  principle  stated  above,  namely,  "Determine  what 
children  should  become  in  personal  characteristics  and 

»McGiffert,  Arthur  C,  A    Teaching  Church.     {Journal  of  Religious  Education 
A»4oeiation),  "Religious  Education,"  vol.  xvi,  pp.  3-9. 

30 


EDUCATIONAL  FUNCTION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

in  social  disposition  and  abilities  and  educate  for  the 
accomplishment  of  these  things."  In  so  far  as  it  fails 
in  its  performance  at  this  point  it  fails  in  its  service 
to  individuals  and  society  and  to  provide  for  its  own 
life  and  perpetuity.  This  makes  clear  the  opportunity 
of  the  church  and  the  moral  and  social  obligations 
resting  upon  it. 

What  are  the  personal  characteristics  and  the  social 
dispositions  and  abilities  we  wish  to  secure  ?  They  are 
none  other  than  the  things  exemplified  in  the  life,  char- 
acter, and  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ.  His  ideals  of  per- 
sonal character,  his  devotion  to  the  service  of  his  fel- 
lows and  his  outreaching  faith  in  and  unfailing  obedi- 
ence to  the  will  of  the  Father  are  the  objectives  to  be 
reached.  These  are  the  things  to  be  attained  through 
religious  education  and  their  accomplishment  is  the 
chief  function  of  the  church. 

Service  of  the  church  to  education. — No  such 
opportunity  has  ever  come  to  the  church  to  serve  as  an 
educational  agency  as  now  exists.  The  need  of  such 
service  is  compelling.  The  program  of  social  recon- 
struction undertaken  by  the  state  through  education 
will  fail,  unless  religion  has  a  larger  place  than  it  now 
occupies.  The  church  is  unfettered  by  state  authority. 
It  is  limited  only  by  its  vision  in  grasping  its  oppor- 
tunity and  by  its  wisdom  in  its  choice  of  means.  It 
can  now  go  forward  to  the  greatest  educational  achieve- 
ment in  its  history. 

The  need  no  longer  exists  for  the  church  to  supply 
the  child  with  the  tools  of  knowledge.  These  are  sup- 
plied by  the  public  schools.  It  is  not  called  upon  to 
teach  any  of  the  secular  subjects  to  provide  a  back- 
ground of  intelligence.  This  is  being  done  more  gen- 
erally and  more  effectively  by  the  state  than  ever 

31 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

before.  These  conditions  serve  at  once  to  define  the 
educational  function  of  the  church  and  to  lay  upon  it 
the  obligation  for  the  successful  performance  of  that 
function.  By  performing  this  task  adequately  the 
church  will  render  a  service  to  education  and  through 
education  to  society  that  is  unparalleled  in  all  its 
history. 

It  is  the  patriotic  duty  of  the  church  deliberately  and 
intelligently  to  assume  this  social  responsibility.  The 
great  social,  political,  and  economic  problems  that  lie 
ahead  endanger  the  very  life  of  our  nation  unless  reli- 
gious motives  can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  their  solu- 
tion. Merely  increased  intelligence  will  not  be  suffi- 
cient. Public  education  is  making  for  greater  effi- 
ciency along  many  lines.  But  it  is  not  providing  suf- 
ficiently for  good  will,  respect  for  the  rights  of  others, 
the  application  of  the  ideals  of  Jesus  and  the  recog- 
nition of  the  demands  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The 
state  needs  to  have  these  things  done.  The  church  can 
and  must  answer  this  call  to  duty. 

Service  of  education  to  the  church. — It  is  ex- 
tremely important  that  the  church  should  not  only  be 
perpetuated  but  that  it  should  become  increasingly 
effective  as  an  instrument  of  social  service.  In  order 
to  do  this  its  own  life  must  be  constantly  renewed  and 
strengthened.  A  program  of  religious  education  prop- 
erly conceived  and  administered  will  accomplish  this 
more  effectively  than  any  other  means.  In  fact,  no 
other  adequate  means  are  available.  Four  needs  of 
the  church  will  be  mentioned. 

I.  One  of  the  outstanding  needs  of  the  church  is 
to  secure  a  more  sure  and  effective  means  of  recruiting 
its  membership.  If  the  conclusions  based  upon  recent 
surveys  are  correct,  more  than  one  half  our  population 

32 


EDUCATIONAL  FUNCTION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

are  not  members  of  the  church.  Whatever  the  exact 
proportion  may  be,  the  church  everywhere  is  becoming 
increasingly  conscious  of  this  large  number  to  whom 
it  should  minister.  How  to  make  successful  appeal  to 
these  millions  constitutes  one  of  the  acute  problems  of 
the  church.  It  is  attempting  to  reconstruct  its  pro- 
gram and  modify  its  methods  in  such  way  as  to  secure 
as  members  of  the  church  those  adults  who  are  either 
indifferent  or  antagonistic  to  it.  That  it  should  con- 
tinue to  do  this  is  entirely  obvious.  But  both  its  pro- 
gram and  its  methods  must  take  into  account  the  ne- 
cessity of  ministering  to  life  in  its  formative  period. 
Intelligence  must  be  cultivated,  loyalties  established  and 
life  enriched  when  it  is  most  easy  and  fruitful  to  do 
these  things. 

The  surest  and  most  effective  means  of  recruiting 
membership  is  the  education  of  childhood  and  youth. 
This  does  not  imply  that  other  means  cannot  and 
should  not  continue  to  be  used.  It  does  mean,  how- 
ever, that  other  means  have  proved  inadequate  and  that 
chief  reliance  must  be  placed  upon  education.  The 
church  that  would  look  to  its  own  future  with  confi- 
dence will  courageously  face  the  fact  of  its  need  for  a 
more  effective  means  of  ministering  to  children  and 
young  people.  An  educational  program  intelligently 
conceived  and  wisely  administered  constitutes  the  chief 
means  of  meeting  this  need. 

2.  The  church  needs  an  intelligent  membership. 
This  means  not  only  that  the  members  should  be  intel- 
ligent in  general  but  that  they  should  also  be  intelligent 
concerning  religion.  They  need  a  more  intelligent  con- 
ception of  the  importance  of  the  church  as  an  institu- 
tion and  its  function  and  of  their  own  relations  to  its 
program.    The  time  to  begin  to  secure  such  intelligence 

33 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

is  in  childhood  and  youth.  Children  are  being  trained 
for  citizenship,  for  vocations,  for  the  home.  Likewise 
must  they  be  trained  for  the  church.  This  is  all  the 
more  important  just  because  they  are  being  trained  for 
these  other  things.  They  are  being  educated  into  the 
relationships  which  they  will  finally  be  able  to  sustain 
successfully.  These  things  are  becoming  increasingly 
worth  while  to  them  because  they  are  becoming  in- 
creasingly intelligent  about  them.  Membership  is 
meaningful  and  is  not  conceived  merely  in  terms  of 
joining  something. 

If  it  is  true  as  claimed  in  some  quarters  that  many 
churches  are  regarded  largely  as  social  clubs  where  does 
the  fault  lie?  The  members  of  such  churches  are  no 
doubt  intelligent  enough,  but  they  lack  intelligence  of 
the  right  kind.  They  have  little  background  either  in 
sentiment  or  knowledge  to  respond  to  spiritual  appeals 
or  to  cooperate  in  a  program  for  the  spiritual  upbuild- 
ing of  the  community.  That  all  available  means 
should  be  employed  to  bring  such  people  to  a  proper 
realization  of  spiritual  values  goes  without  saying. 
But  at  best  it  is  a  hard  task  and  not  very  fruitful.  A 
question  of  equal  importance,  at  least,  is  whether  the 
recruits  of  the  church  are  to  continue  to  be  of  this 
deficient  kind.  If  so  the  future  is  not  very  promising. 
Seasons  of  reviving  and  vitalizing  the  religious  life  of 
spiritually  lazy  adults  are  important.  A  well  conceived 
program  of  education  to  secure  the  growth  of  children 
and  youth  into  a  vital  religious  life,  experience  and 
conduct,  is  surely  of  equal  importance. 

3.  The  church  needs  to  possess  a  more  vivid  sense  of 
its  own  shortcomings.  This  institution  like  all  others 
needs  to  have  its  faults  corrected.  There  is  now  too 
much  fault-finding  but  not  enough  fault  correcting. 

34 


EDUCATIONAL  FUNCTION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

What  is  needed  is  more  criticism  of  a  constructive  kind. 
Such  criticism  from  without  will  be  helpful,  but  if  it 
can  come  from  within  it  will  be  more  fruitful.  A 
ministry  educated  for  the  new  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties of  the  church  is  essential.  But  it  can  accomplish 
little  in  the  necessary  social  reconstruction  unless  lay- 
men are  educated  for  the  same  task  and  are  able  to 
follow  intelligently  the  leadership  of  the  ministry.  The 
church  is  now  suffering  not  a  little  from  a  feeling 
within  the  church  that  something  is  wrong  with  it. 
What  is  needed  is  a  knowledge  of  what  is  wrong  and 
constructive  effort  to  correct  the  faults. 

4.  The  church  needs  an  educated  membership  to 
provide  for  an  expanding  forward-looking  program. 
The  new  and  enlarged  demands  upon  the  church  in  the 
future  can  be  met  only  by  a  constituency  that  is  trained 
for  service.  Its  objectives  must  be  intelligently  con- 
ceived, its  agencies  wisely  selected  and  effectively  ad- 
ministered. This  will  call  increasingly  for  two  things. 
First  a  leadership  with  differentiated  training  for  the 
various  types  of  work  will  be  necessary.  One  of  the 
handicaps  under  which  the  church  is  now  laboring  is  a 
lack  of  sufficiently  trained  leaders  to  man  its  forces. 
The  widely  increasing  demands  for  such  leadership 
makes  it  imperative  that  means  be  provided  to  supply 
it.  Second,  the  training  of  leaders  is  not  enough.  The 
church  must  look  forward  to  securing  an  entire  mem- 
bership committed  to  service  through  its  agencies.  This 
can  be  accomplished  only  by  a  program  of  religious 
instruction  beginning  in  childhood  and  carried  through 
the  formative  years  of  life.  An  abiding  loyalty  to  the 
interests  of  the  church  can  not  rest  upon  ignorance  of 
its  opportunities  and  obligations  and  even  less  upon 
ignorance  of  the  fundamental  things  of  religion  it- 

35 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

self.  The  church  should  not  spend  less  time  in  its 
efforts  to  educate  its  adult  membership  in  the  funda- 
mental things  of  religion.  This  is  one  of  the  impera- 
tive needs  of  the  time.  But  it  should  spend  far  more 
time  and  effort  in  the  religious  development  of  the 
children  and  youth  of  the  nation. 


36 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

The  manifest  need  of  religious  education  and  the 
imperative  demand  for  an  enlarged  program  render 
it  necessary  that  the  aims  be  clearly  defined.  It  should 
be  kept  in  mind  in  this  connection  that  it  is  not  at  all 
improbable  that  the  aims  as  now  generally  conceived 
are  inadequate  to  serve  as  guides  for  the  larger  pro- 
gram. There  are  two  indications  that  this  is  the  case. 
The  first  is  the  lack  of  interest  in  religious  education 
as  manifested  (i)  by  the  millions  of  children  who  are 
not  receiving  formal  religious  instruction  of  any  kind, 
(2)  the  meager  program  furnished  by  the  Sunday 
schools  as  now  conducted,  and  (3)  the  limited  educa- 
tional programs  being  carried  out  by  agencies  other 
than  the  Sunday  school.  The  second  is  suggested  by 
the  fact  that  religious  education,  even  in  its  limited 
scope,  has  not  kept  pace  either  from  the  standpoint  of 
subject-matter  or  method  with  that  of  the  public 
schools.  This  comparative  neglect,  both  as  to  its  scope 
and  quality,  necessarily  raises  the  question,  at  least, 
whether  the  aims  may  not  be  inadequately  defined. 

AIMS  OF   PUBLIC   EDUCATION   REDEFINED 

When  we  turn  to  a  consideration  of  public  education 
we  find  that  making  education  universal  and  enlarging 
its  program  has  been  accompanied  by  important  read- 
justments in  aims  and  values.  This  is  a  very  natural 
result.     The  increased  attention  given  to  the  subject 

37 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

and  the  growing  importance  attached  to  it  has  led  to  a 
careful  examination  of  its  processes  and  goals.  A 
systematic  study  of  the  demands  of  society  upon  edu- 
cation and  to  a  scientific  study  of  the  children  to  be 
educated  was  inevitable.  The  result  has  been  a  rede- 
fining of  aims,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  important 
changes  taking  place  in  public  education  during  the  last 
twenty  years.  This  demands  our  careful  consideration 
for  two  reasons :  ( i )  The  experience  acquired  may  be 
made  to  serve  a  very  useful  purpose  in  making  neces- 
sary readjustments  in  religious  education.  (2)  A 
clear  understanding  of  the  aims  of  public  education  is 
necessary  in  order  that  religious  instruction  may  con- 
tribute to  the  fullest  possible  extent  to  their  realization. 

Education  not  defined  in  a  single  term. — No  attempt 
is  made  at  present  to  give  a  final  definition  of 
education  in  a  single  word  or  phrase.  To  say  that  the 
aim  of  education  is  "character"  or  "social  efficiency" 
or  "preparation  for  complete  living"  is  all  well  enough 
as  far  as  it  goes.  But  it  does  not  go  far  enough.  Hence 
the  necessity  for  breaking  up  these  general  terms  in 
order  to  discover  the  qualities  of  manhood  or  woman- 
hood we  seek  to  produce  and  in  the  light  of  this  decide 
intelligently  the  extent  and  kind  of  development  neces- 
sary to  secure  these  qualities. 

Ultimate  and  immediate  goals. — The  second  thing 
noticeable  in  a  study  of  modern  educational  aims  is 
that  they  not  only  furnish  final  goals,  but  they  also  indi- 
cate the  kinds  of  development  conceived  as  more  imme- 
diate goals.  This  means  that  the  inclusive  aims  of 
education  are  grouped  under  two  heads :  ( i )  The  ulti- 
mate aims  or  final  goals;  and  (2)  the  more  immediate 
aims  which  serve  as  guides  in  realizing  the  ultimate 
aims.     This  plan  of  conceiving  aims  in  detail  in  such 

38 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

way  as  to  furnish  specific  guidance  in  the  selection  of 
subject-matter  and  choice  of  methods  has  had  a  pro- 
found influence  in  enlarging  the  scope  of  public  edu- 
cation and  in  making  it  more  effective.  These  aims, 
specifically  stated,  serve  as  standards  by  which  to  meas- 
ure results  both  as  to  the  final  product  and  as  to  the 
daily  work  of  the  school. 

Religious  education  in  many  quarters  at  least  has  not 
had  the  same  discriminative  attention.  It  is  now  re- 
ceiving a  new  emphasis  and  it  is  extremely  important 
that  its  aims  be  considered  with  respect  to  their  ade- 
quacy in  enlarging  the  program  and  in  making  it  more 
vital.  The  development  of  public  education  in  this 
regard  furnishes  an  excellent  background  for  this  task. 
Religious  education  can  no  longer  be  conceived  in  terms 
less  universal  or  less  vital  than  public  education.  It 
must  finally  become  universal  and  it  must  immediately 
be  made  to  function  more  directly  and  more  completely 
in  the  lives  of  the  children  who  are  receiving  it.  The 
first  step  in  the  process  is  clear  definition  of  aims  and 
purposes. 

Twofold  purpose  of  religious  education. — Religious 
education  should  be  regarded  as  an  integral  part  of  all 
education.  It  therefore  has  two  outstanding  purposes : 
( I )  To  assist  the  public  school  to  achieve  its  aims  more 
completely  by  making  effective  the  religious  motive  in 
life;  and  (2)  to  achieve  certain  aims  peculiar  to  the 
functions  of  religion  and  the  church.  This  twofold 
purpose  will  be  kept  in  mind  in  the  statement  and  dis- 
cussion of  the  aims  of  religious  education. 

THE  ULTIMATE  AIMS 

If  we  were  to  state  the  ultimate  aim  of  religious  in- 
struction in  a  single  phrase,  it  would  no  doubt  be 

39 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Christian  life  and  character  finding  adequate  expres- 
sion in  all  of  lifers  relationships.  This  is  the  ultimate 
goal  toward  which  we  should  direct  all  educational 
endeavor.  But  we  are  compelled  immediately  to  make 
an  analysis  to  discover  two  things:  (i)  The  concrete 
situations  in  which  life  is  lived  and  in  which  character 
finds  expression;  and  (2)  the  personal  and  social 
qualities  required  to  meet  the  demands  of  these  situa- 
tions. Looking  at  the  matter  first  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  individual  we  think  of  qualities  of  life  and  char- 
acter in  terms  of  dispositions  and  abilities.  People 
must  first  of  all  be  rightly  disposed  toward  their  oppor- 
tunities and  obligations.  This  in  itself  is  not  enough. 
They  must  also  have  ability  to  utilize  opportunities  and 
discharge  obligations.  It  is  equally  important  that 
they  should  be  intelligent  concerning  the  situations  in 
which  these  dispositions  and  abilities  are  to  find  fruit- 
ful expression.  Certainly  no  intelligent  conception  of 
religious  education  can  be  had  and  no  useful  program 
devised  in  the  absence  of  some  such  considerations. 

The  ultimate  aims  may  be  stated  in  terms  of  dis- 
positions and  abilities: 

To  maintain  health  and  physical  fitness. — This  is 
a  matter  of  great  importance  not  only  to  the  individual, 
but  to  society  as  well.  Life  is  conditioned  in  no  small 
degree  by  bodily  habits  and  conditions.  A  clean  life 
is  necessary  to  a  moral,  to  say  nothing  of  a  Christian 
life.  The  disposition  to  regard  one's  "body  as  the 
temple  of  the  soul,"  and  the  ability  to  make  it  such  are 
matters  of  no  mean  importance.  Many  habits  detri- 
mental to  the  higher  life  can  be  safeguarded  against 
only  by  training  children  and  youth  for  clean,  health- 
ful physical  living.  The  social  evil  itself,  with  all  its 
degrading,  demoralizing  influences,  can  be  eliminated 

40 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

only  in  this  way.  The  responsibilities  of  parenthood 
which  we  want  our  young  men  and  women  to  assume 
in  a  Christian  spirit  and  discharge  in  the  same  spirit, 
requires  such  training.  From  the  standpoint  of  self- 
interest  and  ethical  consideration  public  education  is 
accomplishing  much  and  its  success  is  a  matter  of  great 
satisfaction.  This  splendid  work,  however,  must  be 
undergirded  by  religious  ideals,  motives,  and  values 
in  a  much  more  compelling  way  than  is  being  done. 
The  opportunity  and  responsibility  of  the  home  and  the 
church  in  this  relation  are  entirely  clear. 

To  use  leisure  time  in  right  ways. — One  of  the 
most  insistent  problems  in  education  at  the  present 
time  is  an  adequate  educational  program  for  training 
children  and  young  people  in  the  right  use  of  leisure 
time.  This  movement  for  avocational  education  has 
come  about  because  of  specific  demands  arising  out  of 
individual  and  social  needs.  If  we  view  this  matter 
from  a  moral  standpoint,  how  people  use  their  leisure 
time  is  of  great  significance.  There  is  no  very  great 
danger  of  people  going  wrong  while  at  work.  It  is, 
rather,  during  the  play  hours  that  the  temptations  come 
and  character  breaks  down.  The  difficulty  of  the  prob- 
lem is  increasing  because  of  the  fact  that  through  leg- 
islation and  in  other  ways  more  leisure  time  is  being 
provided  for  workers.  It  is  no  doubt  desirable  and 
necessary  that  children  should  be  absolutely  prohibited 
from  working  in  certain  industries,  and  that  the  hours 
should  be  limited  in  all  industries.  The  same  thing 
can  be  said  concerning  women.  It  is  further  true  that 
men  should  be  given  adequate  time  for  recreational 
and  social  activities.  As  has  been  pointed  out  above, 
however,  the  very  fact  that  leisure  time  has  increased 
results  in  some  very  troublesome  problems. 

41 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

Educational  authorities  have  recognized  this  and  the 
movement  for  avocational  education  has  been  given 
very  great  emphasis  during  the  last  few  years.  A 
heavy  responsibility  rests  upon  the  church  at  this  point. 
It  must  supplement  the  efforts  being  made  by  other 
agencies  in  order  to  provide  adequate  facilities  for 
training  children  and  young  people  in  the  right  use  of 
their  leisure  time.  Recreational  and  social  programs 
adequate  to  meet  the  needs  must  be  provided  by  the 
church.  It  is  not  the  function  of  the  church  to  take 
this  work  over  completely  any  more  than  it  is  to  take 
over  a  program  for  vocational  training.  It  is  its  func- 
tion and  duty  to  supplement  the  work  of  the  public 
school  by  providing  opportunity  for  the  inculcation  of 
Christian  motives  and  ideals  which  will  function  in  the 
use  of  leisure  hours  and  to  assist  in  providing  whole- 
some recreational  activities. 

The  right  use  of  leisure  time  is  a  matter  of  great 
importance  to  the  church  itself.  How  those  affiliated 
with  it — children,  youth,  and  adults — should  spend  the 
play  hours  of  life  is  one  of  the  persistent  questions  con- 
fronting the  church.  Denominations  have  differed  in 
the  past  and  still  differ  concerning  the  range  of  free- 
dom that  should  be  allowed  on  the  basis  of  individual 
choices.  Some  have  placed  few  restrictions  upon  such 
choices,  while  others  have  done  so  to  the  extent  of 
attempting  a  large  measure  of  control.  Whether  a 
church  should  elect  to  exercise  control  in  such  matters 
by  prohibitive  measures  and  the  extent  to  which  it 
should  attempt  to  do  so  are  not  matters  for  considera- 
tion here.  In  any  case  the  influence  of  recreational 
activities  upon  the  life  and  character  of  individuals  re- 
mains a  matter  of  great  significance  to  the  individuals 
themselves,  to  the  church,  and  to  society  at  large.    For 

42 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

this  reason  the  right  use  of  leisure  time  constitutes  one 
of  the  most  insistent  educational  problems.  Our  ques- 
tion here  has  to  do  with  the  opportunity  and  responsi- 
bility of  the  church  in  the  education  of  children  and 
youth  in  the  selection  and  use  of  leisure  activities. 

Education  through  play  is  an  accepted  principle,  and 
education  for  play  is  an  acknowledged  necessity.  It  is 
no  longer  regarded  as  a  mere  incident  of  life,  but  as  a 
necessary  and  integral  part  of  it.  The  use  of  leisure  is, 
therefore,  so  vitally  related  to  life  that  it  is  a  matter  of 
tremendous  religious  import.  The  church  can  neither 
disregard  this  fact  nor  delegate  its  responsibility  to 
other  agencies.  How  it  shall  best  discharge  this  re- 
sponsibility is  a  question  having  to  do  with  an  educa- 
tional program  which  will  receive  attention  in  a  later 
discussion.  The  point  of  emphasis  here  is  that  one  of 
the  important  aims  of  religious  education  is  to  train 
children  and  youth  in  the  right  use  of  leisure  time  and 
that  the  church  has  a  large  responsibility  for  providing 
facilities  for  such  training.  Whether  each  church  shall 
maintain  a  program  of  its  own  or  in  cooperation  with 
other  churches  assist  in  carrying  on  a  community  enter- 
prise is  not  the  question  here.  It  should  be  made  clear, 
however,  that  the  church,  whatever  means  it  may 
employ,  should  assume  a  large  measure  of  responsibility 
in  the  matter. 

To  contribute  one's  share  to  the  work  of  the 
world. — Prevocational  and  vocational  education  are 
receiving  an  unprecedented  emphasis  in  public  educa- 
tion. Intelligent  choice  of  an  occupation  and  the 
ability  to  sustain  oneself  in  one's  chosen  field  are  ex- 
tremely important,  both  to  the  individual  and  to  society. 
Much  is  now  being  done  to  secure  intelligence  in 
choices  and  to  develop  skills  in  occupational  activities. 

43 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

As  a  result  of  the  training  being  given  we  shall  have 
less  unfits  and  misfits  in  industry  viewed  from  the 
standpoint  of  skilled  workers.  The  outlook  in  this 
respect  is  highly  encouraging.  One  factor,  how- 
ever, in  this  whole  movement  for  greater  voca- 
tional efficiency  must  not  be  neglected.  We  must 
not  forget  that  right  motives  in  making  choices 
and  in  acquiring  skills  are  absolutely  essential. 
If  the  skilled  worker  is  motivated  only  by  selfish  inter- 
ests both  in  the  choice  of  his  vocation  and  in  the  devel- 
opment and  use  of  his  skill,  his  education  is  fatally 
defective.  He  will  live  a  dwarfed,  selfish  Hfe  and 
society  as  well  as  himself  will  reap  the  harvest. 

The  only  hope  of  an  industrial  democracy  lies  in  a 
Christian  democracy.  To  achieve  this  goal  means  the 
long  arduous  task  of  securing  the  development  and 
functioning  of  Christian  ideals  and  motives  in  the  lives 
of  those  who  engage  in  industry.  This  principle  ap- 
plies to  employers  and  employees  alike.  Vocational 
training  may  mean  only  the  disposition  and  ability  to 
seek  and  maintain  industrial  advantage.  It  may  mean 
that  class  consciousness  will  be  intensified,  the  solidify- 
ing of  industrial  groups  and  a  continuous  struggle  for 
group  supremacy.  In  the  absence  of  the  dominance 
of  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus  it  will  mean  these 
things :  and  it  does  mean  these  things  in  so  far  as  his 
life  and  teachings  do  not  control  the  motives  of  men. 

It  is  not  the  function  of  religious  instruction  to  train 
for  vocational  skills  except  for  the  vocations  of  the 
church.  But  it  is  its  function  to  aid  in  developing  right 
motives  both  in  choices  made  and  in  the  application  of 
skills.  Its  more  inclusive  purpose  is  to  secure  choices 
on  the  basis  of  the  largest  social  service  and  the  appli- 
cation of  skills  to  the  same  end.    The  state  also  recog- 

44 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

nizes  the  necessity  of  prevocational  education.  It  rec- 
ognizes that  foundations  must  be  laid  in  attitudes 
developed,  interests  created,  and  knowledge  acquired. 
Religious  education  must  accompany  both  the  pre- 
vocational and  the  vocational.  In  no  other  way  can  we 
hope  to  secure  a  Christianized  industrial  order. 

To  sustain  properly  certain  definite  social  relation- 
ships.—  The  social  relationships  which  one  sustains  is 
a  matter  of  great  significance.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
conceive  of  any  fruitful  educational  program  which 
did  not  take  this  fully  into  account.  In  secular  educa- 
tion we  are  coming  to  recognize  the  necessity  of  pro- 
viding a  program  of  instruction  and  activities  which 
will  furnish  definite  preparation  for  assuming  intelli- 
gently and  sustaining  successfully,  the  various  social 
relationships  of  life.  This  recognition  has  led  to  an 
emphasis  upon  the  social  aspects  of  education  unpar- 
alleled in  the  history  of  educational  endeavor.  The 
frequent  recurrence  of  such  phrases  as  "social  right- 
eousness," "social  efficiency,"  and  "social  service"  in 
current  educational  discussions  is  one  of  the  evidences 
of  this  social  emphasis. 

When  one  turns  from  these  discussions  to  an  exam- 
ination of  educational  practice,  school  curricula  of  all 
sorts  bear  testimony  to  the  same  emphasis.  The  in- 
crease is  very  marked  in  the  amount  of  time  devoted 
to  the  so-called  social  studies,  including  history,  civics, 
economics,  sociology,  and  other  closely  allied  subjects. 
In  comparison  with  the  practice  even  ten  years  ago  the 
emphasis  now  being  given  to  these  subjects  is  very 
marked.  It  is  equally  significant  that  types  of  subject- 
matter  in  these  subjects  have  undergone  changes  of  far- 
reaching  importance.  The  old  formal  subject-matter, 
dealing  largely  with  an  array  of  historical  facts,  a 

45 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

knowledge  of  which  had  little  or  no  relation  to  the  life 
of  the  world  to-day,  has  been  displaced.  In  its  place 
have  come  types  of  subject-matter  selected  because  of 
their  value  in  preparing  the  learner  for  his  social 
duties  and  responsibilities.  The  same  thing  has  hap- 
pened in  the  other  social  studies.  The  whole  purpose 
of  this  greater  emphasis  and  in  these  changes  in  sub- 
ject-matter has  been  to  secure  fruitful  knowledge 
which  will  result  in  social  attitudes,  ideals,  and  inter- 
ests, and  in  intelligence  and  good  will  which  will  func- 
tion in  the  concrete  situations  of  life. 

This  is  all  very  encouraging  and  will  no  doubt  result 
in  better  preparation  for  citizenship,  using  that  term 
in  its  most  inclusive  sense.  But  religion  and  the  church 
with  its  various  denominational  agencies  have  neces- 
sarily been  left  out  of  consideration  in  this  more  ade- 
quate social  program  of  secular  education.  This  leaves 
the  program  incomplete  and  it  will  be  only  partially 
successful  even  within  the  limits  for  which  it  is  in- 
tended. Good  citizenship  rests  upon  something  more 
fundamental  than  a  knowledge  of  government  and  its 
functions  even  when  we  include  instruction  and  activi- 
ties intended  to  inculcate  moral  and  ethical  ideals  and  to 
give  these  ideals  opportunity  for  expression.  We  have 
still  left  out  the  most  fundamental  thing  in  motivating 
life,  namely,  religion.  We  have  also  left  out  of  con- 
sideration the  church,  an  institution  which  next  to  the 
home  is  the  most  fundamental  to  a  Christian  civiliza- 
tion. In  spite  of  its  faults  and  partial  failures,  it  has 
stood  throughout  the  centuries  for  a  common  brother- 
hood of  men  as  no  other  institution  has  done,  and  to-day 
it  embodies  this  ideal  in  greater  degree  than  it  ever 
has  before  in  all  its  history.  This  is  not  only  very 
significant  for  the  church  looking  to  its  own  life  and 

46 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

perpetuity,  and  in  the  wider  reaches  of  its  influences, 
but  also  for  society  itself. 

In  this  country  we  have  committed  ourselves  to  the 
principles  of  democracy.^  In  fact,  the  acceptance  of 
these  principles  is  becoming  worldwide.  Training  for 
citizenship,  therefore,  means  training  for  participation 
in  a  democratic  society  which  attempts  to  secure  not 
only  equal  opportunities  for  all,  but  also  seeks  to  dis- 
tribute responsibilities  according  to  the  abilities  of  the 
individuals  who  discharge  them.  It  is  readily  seen 
that  both  the  disposition  and  the  ability  to  sustain  these 
relationships  successfully  are  of  primary  importance. 
Ideals,  attitudes,  and  motives  must  be  of  the  right  kind 
else  the  whole  scheme  will  fail,  and,  if  religion  is  left 
out,  it  will  fail.  The  brotherhood  of  man  is  but  an 
empty  phrase  in  the  minds  of  men  unless  they  recog- 
nize the  Fatherhood  of  God.  No  democracy,  save  a 
Christian  democracy,  can  be  either  effective  or  perma- 
nent.2  It  is,  therefore,  obvious  that  any  social  pro- 
gram of  education  which  does  not  have  religion  as  an 
integral  part  of  it  will  fail. 

If  the  principles  of  a  democratic  society  were  only 
national  in  scope  and  application,  the  problem  of  educa- 
tion would  be  difficult  enough.  But  they  are  wider 
than  this.  A  Christian  democracy  is  as  inclusive  as 
the  world,  and  men  and  women  must  be  trained  for 
citizenship  in  it.  This  cannot  be  accomplished  through 
secular  education  alone.  It  can  give  and  is  giving  a  fine 
background  in  knowledge  of  other  lands  and  in  humane 
sentiments  toward  other  peoples.  Farther  than  this 
the  state  cannot  go  in  its  educational  program.  It  has 
its  geographical  limitations  and  along  with  these  neces- 

»Dewey,  John,  Democracy  and  Education,  chapter  vii. 

Tittle,  Ernest  F..  What  Must  the  Church  Do  to  Be  Saved?  pp.  26-32. 

47 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

sarily  go  the  other  limitations  belonging  to  national 
ideals  and  life. 

The  Christian  Church,  on  the  other  hand,  has  no 
such  limitations.  It  is  not  restricted  by  geographical 
boundaries  or  language  or  anything  else  save  its  own 
conceptions  of  the  extent  of  its  dominion.  "The  world 
is  its  parish"  and  the  establishment  of  a  universal 
brotherhood  of  men  its  ultimate  goal.  But  it  must  do 
more  than  merely  talk  about  these  things  and  more 
even  than  insistently  call  men  and  women  of  the  pres- 
ent generation  to  the  task  of  their  realization.  At  best 
the  answer  to  this  call  will  be  pitiably  small.  Millions 
will  not  hear  it  because  they  live  beyond  the  reach  of 
its  influences.  Others  will  hear  it,  but  will  not  heed  it 
because  they  have  not  been  trained  to  evaluate  prop- 
erly the  issues  involved.  Not  abating  its  efforts  in  the 
present,  the  church  must  largely  commit  its  hopes  for 
a  world  citizenship  to  the  future,  and  the  education  of 
children  and  youth  is  the  means  of  realizing  these 
hopes. 

To  acquire  intelligently  and  maintain  effectively 
membership  in  the  church. —  The  future  of  the 
Church  is  of  such  large  import  both  to  individuals  and 
society  that  means  of  recruiting  loyal,  active,  intelligent 
membership  is  a  matter  of  grave  concern.  Any  pro- 
gram of  religious  education  which  does  not  have  this 
as  one  of  its  aims  will  fail.  Children  should  not  only 
be  brought  up  in  the  church  but  they  should  be  trained 
to  serve  through  its  various  agencies.  Only  thus  can 
it  be  made  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  its  mem- 
bership and  render  service  to  the  community  and  the 
world. 

Two  closely  related  and  interdependent  objectives 
are  clearly  indicated : 

48 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

1.  One  of  the  outstanding  needs  of  men  and  women 
to-day  is  the  spiritual  ministry  of  the  church.  Because 
of  lack  of  disposition  or  ability,  or  both,  many  people 
within  the  church,  to  say  nothing  of  the  multitudes 
without,  are  not  utilizing  the  great  sources  of  spiritual 
power.  In  far  too  many  cases  church  attendance  is 
occasional  and  perfunctory  and  the  forms  and  spirit  of 
worship  are  neglected. 

2.  The  imperative  call  for  trained  men  and  women 
to  serve  in  and  through  the  church  must  somehow  be 
met.  The  educational  program  should  take  into  ac- 
count two  types  of  service — vocational  and  avocational. 
Recruiting  for  the  vocations  of  the  church  is  one  of  its 
insistent  problems.  Its  future  leadership  depends  upon 
an  adequate  supply  of  trained  leaders.  But  this  prob- 
lem, as  important  as  it  is,  constitutes  only  a  part  of 
the  task  of  the  church  in  training  its  membership  for 
effective  service  through  its  various  agencies.  Much 
of  the  work  must  be  carried  on  by  those  whose  voca- 
tions lie  outside  the  church.  This  is  true  of  the  Sun- 
day school,  young  people's  societies,  and  various  other 
organizations.  The  leaders  in  these  organizations  and 
the  teachers  and  other  workers  must  be  adequately 
trained.  Much  of  the  success  both  in  the  formulation 
and  carrying  out  of  the  educational  program — instruc- 
tional, social,  and  recreational — depends  upon  the  effi- 
ciency of  this  class  of  workers.  This  general  subject 
will  receive  detailed  treatment  in  subsequent  chapters. 
The  emphasis  at  this  point  is  that  the  training  of  these 
workers  constitutes  one  of  the  chief  objectives  of  a 
program  of  religious  education. 

THE  PROXIMATE  AIMS 

We  have  thus  far  considered  only  the  more  ultimate 

49 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

or  final  objectives  in  religious  education.  It  is  neces- 
sary that  some  such  conception  of  final  aims  be  kept 
in  mind.  They  serve  as  goals  toward  which  our  edu- 
cational endeavors  are  directed.  There  is  only  one  pos- 
sible way  of  attainment  so  far  as  education  is  con- 
cerned and  that  is  through  the  spiritual  growth  and 
development  of  individuals.  Christ  exemplified  this 
principle  in  his  own  life  and  clearly  recognized  it  in 
his  teachings.  "And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong 
in  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom :  and  the  grace  of  God  was 
upon  him."  "First  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the 
full  corn  in  the  ear."  It  is  this  inner  Hfe  that  must  be 
nurtured  and  developed  by  all  the  spiritual  forces  at 
our  command. 

The  inclusive  ultimate  aim  is  conceived  as  Christian 
life  and  character  expressing  itself  adequately  in  one's 
relations  to  God  and  to  his  fellows.  This  is  to  be  the 
product  of  religious  education.  The  more  immediate 
aim  is  to  secure  growth  and  development  toward  this 
ideal.  That  is  to  say,  we  must  now  regard  our  task 
from  the  standpoint  of  education  as  a  process.  And 
this  process  must  be  essentially  a  spiritual  one.  The  fol- 
lowing is  suggested  as  an  inclusive  immediate  aim  or 
objective  of  religious  education :  To  secure  a  continu- 
ous reconstruction  of  experience  with  an  increasing 
sense  of  spiritual  values,  a  growing  consciousness  of 
God  and  Christ  in  the  life  and  an  expanding  disposition 
and  ability  to  recognize  and  discharge  one's  obligations 
to  God  and  to  his  fellows.  These  things  must  be  in 
process  of  reaHzation  day  by  day,  year  by  year,  until 
adult  Christian  character  is  attained  and  life  is  fully 
and  irrevocably  committed  to  service  in  and  for  the 
Kingdom. 

This  inclusive  more  general  aim  implies  growth  and 

50 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

development  toward  goals  which  we  have  set  up  as 
standards  by  which  to  measure  the  final  product  of 
religious  education.  How  can  we  secure  reconstruc- 
tion of  experience  along  the  Hues  indicated?  How  can 
the  life  of  childhood  and  youth  be  nurtured,  guided, 
and  enriched  so  that  the  "full  corn  in  the  ear"  may  be 
the  result  of  our  teaching?  It  is  obvious  that  a  fruitful 
program  of  instruction  and  activities  must  constitute 
the  answer  to  these  questions. 

Such  a  program  cannot  be  intelligently  formulated 
or  successfully  administered  in  the  absence  of  definite, 
specific  aims  which  will  serve  as  guides  in  the  selection 
of  means  and  methods.  Ultimate  goals  have  been 
stated  in  terms  of  disposition  and  ability  to  attain  per- 
manently and  successfully  certain  standards  in  the  con- 
crete relationships  of  life.  The  more  immediate  aims 
which  must  serve  as  constant  guides  in  making  and 
administering  programs  are  necessarily  conceived  in 
terms  of  growth  and  development,  of  acquiring  and 
becoming.    These  may  be  stated  as  follows : 

Acquiring  fruitful  knowledge. — This  constitutes 
one  of  the  clearly  defined  aims  of  modern  education. 
The  old  theory  that  it  makes  little  difference  what  a 
child  studies  as  long  as  the  method  of  study  results  in 
"mental  discipline"  no  longer  controls  in  secular  educa- 
tion. Knowledge  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  im- 
portant aims.  More  specifically,  the  aim  is  not  knowl- 
edge for  its  own  sake  but  for  its  functional  value  in 
life.  Hence  the  enrichment  of  curricula  by  the  intro- 
duction of  subjects  and  subject-matter  possessing 
such  value.  The  three  R's  of  the  elementary  school 
are  now  supplemented  by  hygiene,  nature  study,  lan- 
guage, geography,  and  history.  In  the  high  school, 
science,  the  social  studies  and  industrial  and  commer- 

51 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

cial  subjects  have  been  added  to  the  old  humanistic 
curricula.  This  change  in  emphasis  in  secular  educa- 
tion is  very  significant.  It  is  expected  that  much  of 
the  knowledge  acquired  by  children  will  be  retained  and 
will  function  in  the  social  relationships  of  later  years. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Instruction  is  adapted  to  the 
developing  needs,  interests,  and  capacities  of  the  child. 
Subject-matter  is  therefore  selected  with  reference  to 
this  development.  The  child  not  only  becomes  more 
intelligent  day  by  day,  but  his  intelligence  finds  expres- 
sion in  his  everyday  living.  This  means  that  the  old 
distinction  in  education  between  living  and  preparing 
to  live  is  disappearing.  As  the  pupil  acquires  knowl- 
edge concerning  the  care  of  his  body,  the  school  under- 
takes to  have  this  knowledge  function  in  matters  of 
health  and  physical  fitness.  The  same  is  true  of  infor- 
mation and  experience  as  related  to  leisure  time,  voca- 
tions, and  social  relationships.  Useful  knowledge  is 
thus  considered  to  be  that  which  functions  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  whole  life  of  the  child.  The  processes 
through  which  it  is  made  to  function  will  be  discussed 
presently. 

Since  the  whole  ongoing  life  of  the  child  is  involved, 
information  and  experience  having  to  do  with  religion 
cannot  he  left  out  or  even  subordinated.  Religious 
development  is  so  fundamental  to  the  accomplishment 
of  all  the  ultimate  aims  set  up  by  secular  education 
that  they  cannot  be  attained  in  any  adequate  way 
without  it.  And  this  particular  kind  of  development 
is  conditioned  by  the  same  laws  of  life  as  any  other 
kind.  Growth  here,  as  elsewhere,  is  determined  by 
knowledge  and  experience.  The  child  must  acquire 
these  through  instruction  and  activities  adapted  to  his 
needs,  interests,  and  capacities  and  selected  with  refer- 

52 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

ence  to  their  functional  values  in  right  living.  Igno- 
rance of  great  religious  truths  and  lack  of  experience 
in  their  application  cannot  be  expected  to  form  the 
basis  for  living  a  religious  life,  either  in  the  present 
or  the  future. 

Development  of  attitudes,  interests,  and  apprecia- 
tions.— This  constitutes  one  of  the  important  func- 
tions of  the  information  gained  and  experience  ac- 
quired. Whether  we  will  or  no  this  is  happening  in 
school  and  out.  The  child  is  developing  attitudes 
toward  truthfulness,  honesty,  loyalty,  and  conduct  in 
general.  His  interests  are  being  formed  and  are  find- 
ing expression  in  one  way  or  another.  Whether  their 
range  is  wide  or  narrow,  whether  they  are  wholesome 
or  otherwise;  whether,  if  temporary,  they  serve  as 
stimuli  to  right  conduct;  or,  if  permanent,  whether 
they  serve  to  hold  the  child  steadily  in  right  paths  or 
wrong  paths  are  all  matters  of  great  importance. 

The  child  is  acquiring  a  set  of  values  which  govern 
him  in  his  choices  and  find  concrete  expression  in  con- 
duct. An  appreciation  of  religious,  no  less  than  of 
aesthetic  and  ethical  values  has  its  rise  in  this  back- 
ground of  feeling  and  emotion.  If  we  expect  the  child 
to  have  right  attitudes  toward  religion,  the  Bible,  and 
the  church,  and  that  interests  will  be  acquired  which 
will  serve  as  stimuli  to  right  conduct,  instruction  and 
activities  must  be  of  a  kind  that  will  secure  these 
results.  He  is  forming  his  scale  of  values,  and  if 
religion  and  all  that  pertains  thereto  is  to  have  its  right- 
ful place,  those  who  have  his  education  in  charge  must 
give  it  that  place.  If  young  people  are  indifferent  or 
antagonistic  to  the  Bible  and  the  church,  and  religion 
itself,  it  cannot  be  accounted  for  merely  on  a  basis  of 
youthful  perversity.     If  their  interests  be  wholly  or 

53 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

largely  elsewhere,  it  cannot  be  charged  up  to  way- 
wardness. It  is  due  to  neglect  or  misguided  effort 
on  the  part  of  those  who  are  responsible  for  their 
upbringing.  If,  in  the  scale  of  values  acquired, 
we  find  that  religion  has  a  low  rating,  or  none, 
the  church  and  the  home  cannot  rightfully  place 
the  blame  upon  the  failure  of  the  public  school.  All 
of  these  defects  in  attitude,  interests,  and  appreciation 
of  values  are  due  in  large  measure  to  what  the  church 
and  the  home  have  not  done  to  provide  proper  educa- 
tional facilities.  It  is  true,  of  course,  that  mere  knowl- 
edge of  the  contents  of  the  Bible  will  not  insure  that  a 
proper  valuation  will  be  placed  upon  it.  Attendance 
upon  church  services  is  not  enough  in  and  of  itself  to 
create  interest  in  the  church  and  its  mission  in  the 
world.  Instruction  in  the  Sunday  school  may  have 
little  to  do  with  "growth  in  grace  and  knowledge  of  the 
Lord."  In  all  these  cases  results  depend  upon  whether 
the  knowledge  gained  and  experience  acquired  are  of 
a  kind  that  can  function  properly  and  are  made  to  so 
function  in  the  lives  of  children  and  youth.  This  prin- 
ciple is  applied  to  all  education,  and  religious  education 
is  therefore  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

Development  of  right  ideals  and  compelling 
motives. — Knowledge  and  experience  find  here  a  still 
higher  fruition.  Ideals  of  duty,  of  loyalty,  of  sacrifice 
and  of  service  become  the  standards  by  which  obliga- 
tions are  measured  and  conduct  evaluated.  These  are 
both  personal  and  social  in  character.  They  constitute 
the  standards  by  which  we  determine  what  we  think 
the  nature  of  the  social  order  ought  to  be  and  for  eval- 
uating it  as  it  now  exists.  These  ideals  concerning 
society  also  serve  as  standards  for  self -evaluation. 
Our  ideals  concerning  democracy — social,  political,  and 

54 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

industrial — reflect  our  ideals  concerning  persons  in- 
cluding ourselves  who  should  be  counted  as  worthy  of 
citizenship.  Any  effective  system  of  education  takes 
this  fully  into  account.  It,  therefore,  seeks  to  have 
the  knowledge  and  experience  acquired  in  school  and 
out  to  function  in  the  formation  of  right  ideals.  They 
cannot  be  expected  to  issue  out  of  ignorance  or  to  be 
left  to  chance.  They  are  acquired  through  proper 
interpretations  of  knowledge  and  the  expressions  of  it 
in  daily  living. 

These  ideals  thus  become  great  propulsive  forces  in 
life  which  we  call  motives.  It  is  only  when  educa- 
tional processes  have  attained  this  result  that  attitudes, 
interests,  appreciations,  and  ideals  themselves  have  per- 
formed their  highest  function.  They  have  then 
reached  the  point  of  motivating  life  and  conduct. 
Knowledge  and  experience  now  serve  as  guides  to  give 
proper  direction  to  these  great  dynamic  forces,  and 
that  is  their  chief  value.  Here,  again,  rehgion  cannot 
be  ignored  or  even  subordinated  in  any  adequate  pro- 
gram of  education.  Ignorance  of  religion,  of  the 
Bible,  of  the  church  and  its  great  enterprises,  and  of 
God  and  his  kingdom  and  of  Christ  and  his  life  and 
teachings  cannot  result  either  in  ideals  or  motives 
which  belong  to  the  Christian  life.  If  religion  is  to 
become  a  great  dynamic  force  in  the  lives  of  men  and 
women  of  the  next  generation,  it  must  function  more 
largely  than  it  is  now  doing  in  forming  the  ideals  and 
motives  in  the  lives  of  the  children  of  the  present 
generation. 

In  a  word,  compelling  motives  constitute  what  we 
call  the  will.  This  function  of  the  mind,  thus  con- 
ceived, is  not  something  that  lies  outside  everyday  ex- 
perience to  be  called  into  action  only  in  crises.     It 

55 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

is,  on  the  contrary,  the  guiding  force  of  a  life  developed 
by  experience  in  its  daily  contacts,  and  finds  expression 
in  these  same  contacts.  It  is  not  something  external 
set  over  against  self,  but  is  the  very  essence  of  intelli- 
gent self-control.  In  the  development  of  will,  life  be- 
comes increasingly  unified  in  its  purposes  and  goals 
and  in  its  power  to  direct  its  forces  to  their  attainment. 

A  life  that  wills  to  do  the  will  of  God  is  the  great 
objective  of  religious  education.  This  calls  for  intelli- 
gence concerning  what  that  will  is  and  right  attitudes 
toward  the  doing  of  it.  Added  to  this  must  be  the 
power  of  achievement. 

Development  of  right  habits  of  conduct  and  useful 
skills  in  living. — Habit  formation  goes  on  whether 
we  will  or  no.  Every  act  and  thought  has  a  tendency 
to  repeat  itself  and  successive  repetitions  finally  result 
in  habits.  *'Habits  result  in  character  and  character 
in  destiny."  It  is  not  necessary  in  this  connection  to 
discuss  either  the  fact  of  habits  or  their  importance  in 
life.  Our  only  question  is  the  relation  which  educa- 
tion sustains  to  the  forming  of  right  habits  and  of 
securing  their  proper  functioning  when  formed.  More 
specifically  our  problem  has  to  do  with  religious  educa- 
tion. 

It  is  concerned  first  of  all  with  the  whole  range  of 
habits,  both  physical  and  mental,  since  they  vitally 
affect  one's  daily  living.  Attitudes  should  become  hab- 
itual, interests  permanent  and  valuations  fixed.  Ideals 
should  become  dynamic  and  motives  made  to  function. 
It  is  necessary,  therefore,  that  all  these  shall  not  only 
be  of  the  right  kind,  but  that  they  shall  be  given  oppor- 
tunity to  function  properly.  This  is  accomplished 
through  an  environment  providing  adequate  oppor- 
tunity for  expression.    It  is  the  function  of  education 

S6 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

in  general  to  furnish  this  environment  and  therefore  of 
religious  education  in  particular.  The  child  must  not 
only  be  taught  religion,  but  must  be  given  opportunity 
to  live  it  as  an  integral  part  of  his  daily  life.  Ideals 
of  right  living  should  become  habits  of  right  conduct. 
Unless  they  do,  the  ideals  will  probably  function  only 
occasionally  if  at  all.  More  immediately  religious  in- 
struction and  activities  should  have  for  one  of  their 
great  objectives  the  formation  of  habits  as  they  relate 
to  worship,  prayer,  and  definite  acts  of  service.  These 
are  expressions  of  the  inner  life  which  should  become 
a  part  of  the  permanent  technique  of  fruitful  living. 
Training  for  Christian  service  is  not  different  from  the 
psychological  standpoint  from  any  other  kind  of  train- 
ing. Children  must  have  proper  ideals  and  compelling 
motives.  But  more  than  this  they  must  develop  skills 
in  living  and  doing.  These  can  be  acquired  only  by 
repeated  experience  under  proper  guidance. 

ACHIEVING  CHARACTER 

The  foregoing  discussion  of  immediate  aims  makes 
it  clear  that  education  is  conceived  as  the  means  of 
achieving  character.^  This  achievement  is  a  process  of 
growth  and  development  from  infancy  through  child- 
hood and  youth  to  adult  life.  It  does  not  stop  here, 
but  goes  on  as  long  as  the  individual  continues  to  have 
spiritual  aspirations,  and  responds  to  spiritual  forces. 
But  infancy,  childhood  and  youth  constitute  the  plastic 
years  during  which  character  is  largely  determined. 
This  period  therefore  furnishes  the  opportunity  for  the 
home,  the  school,  and  the  church  to  build  into  life  per- 
manently what  they  hope  to  have  life  give  expression 
to  in  later  years. 

«Coe,  George  A.,  A  Social  Theory  of  Religious  Education,  chapter  xlv, 

57 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

In  selecting  education  as  a  means  of  achieving  char- 
acter it  is  not  meant  to  deny  the  reality  and  potency  of 
great  crises  in  which  life  takes  on  new  purposes.  To 
conceive  religious  life  in  terms  of  growth  and  develop- 
ment in  no  way  controverts  this  fact.  Children  and 
youth  pass  through  rather  definite  developmental  stages 
and  these  are  marked  by  changes  more  or  less  sudden. 
This  is  particularly  true  of  the  beginning  and  early 
years  of  the  adolescent  period.  Religious  education 
properly  conceived  does  not  ignore  this  fact.  On  the 
contrary,  it  anticipates  these  crises  and  prepares  for 
them.  The  adolescent  period,  for  example,  is  a  critical 
period  in  the  sense  that  choices  are  made  and  decisions 
reached  which  are  far  reaching  in  importance.  Definite 
decisions  to  lead  the  religious  life  are  made  and  a  large 
number  of  conversions  take  place.  The  number  who 
join  the  church  is  relatively  large  during  this  period. 
As  pointed  out  above,  religious  education  properly  con- 
ceived, anticipates  all  this  and  seeks  to  make  decisions 
both  intelligent  and  permanent. 

Individual  differences. —  In  this  connection  it 
should  be  said  also  that  the  educational  method  recog- 
nizes individual  differences.  It  does  not  assume  that 
all  decisions  will  be  reached  in  precisely  the  same 
way.  The  amount  of  emotional  stress  and  strain  is 
not  the  same  in  different  individuals.  In  some  the 
crisis  is  much  less  marked  than  in  others.  It  therefore 
does  not  seek  to  secure  the  same  or  even  strikingly 
similar  manifestations.  What  it  does  seek  is  the  same 
result  for  all,  namely,  intelligent  and  permanent 
choices.  It  seeks  to  secure  growth  and  development 
which  results  finally  in  full  commitment  of  individuals 
to  Jesus  Christ  and  his  program  of  life.  The  fact  might 
just  as  well  be  faced  that  a  distressingly  large  number 

58 


AIMS  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

of  decisions  to  lead  the  Christian  life  are  not  perma- 
nent. They  are  but  for  a  day  so  to  speak.  They  lack 
the  sustaining  power  of  permanent  attitudes  and  ideals 
and  compelling  motives.  Education  seeks  to  secure  this 
sustaining  power.  It  seeks  to  secure  a  background  in 
experience  to  serve  as  a  foundation  upon  which  deci- 
sions may  permanently  rest.  Whether  decisions  are 
reached  under  great  emotional  stress  and  strain  or 
as  a  result  of  deliberate  choice  is  not  in  itself  important. 
Whether  they  are  a  sudden  culmination  of  experience 
or  are  reached  more  gradually  as  a  result  of  contacts 
with  home  and  church  and  school  should  not  be  a  mat- 
ter of  primary  concern.  Christian  life  and  character  is 
the  goal  which  education  seeks  to  attain. 

Universality  of  education. — Religious  education  has 
as  a  further  aim  the  reaching  of  multitudes  not  now 
reached  by  the  methods  employed.  It  seeks  to  reach 
all  the  children  of  all  the  people  in  so  far  as  this  is 
possible.  In  doing  this  its  purpose  is  not  to  displace 
other  methods  in  so  far  as  they  are  effective,  but  to  sup- 
plement them.  It  seeks  the  growth  and  development 
of  all  children  into  men  and  women  of  positive  Chris- 
tian hfe  and  character.  In  order  to  do  this  its  program 
must  be  extended  and  made  more  vital.  It  must  then 
be  effectively  administered  and  will  become  an  agency 
in  the  upbuilding  of  the  kingdom  such  as  the  Church 
has  not  had  at  its  command  since  the  early  days  of  its 
ministry. 


59 


CHAPTER  IV 

A  PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

The  aims  of  religious  education  can  be  realized  only 
through  a  program  intelligently  conceived  and  wisely 
administered.  The  state  recognizes  this  principle  as 
shown  not  only  by  the  establishment  of  schools  but 
also  by  the  systematizing  of  their  work  in  such  way 
as  to  furnish  continuous  educational  opportunities  from 
infancy  through  childhood  and  adolescence,  and  ex- 
tending finally  to  the  earlier  years  of  adult  life.  This 
constitutes  what  may  be  called  a  program  of  secular 
education.  The  church,  at  least  the  Protestant  connec- 
tions, has  no  such  program  at  the  present  time.  That 
such  a  program  needs  to  be  formulated  if  the  church 
would  measure  up  to  its  opportunities  and  responsi- 
bilities, is  entirely  obvious.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the 
present  chapter  to  suggest  some  of  the  principles  cov- 
ering this  matter,  and  also  some  of  the  more  important 
details  connected  with  it. 

PROGRAM  STANDARDS 

The  preceding  chapters  have  contained  implications 
of  the  necessity  of  proper  educational  and  religious 
standards  in  formulating  and  administering  programs. 
Religious  education  is  a  matter  of  such  great  import- 
ance that  the  instruction  and  activities  provided  should 
measure  up  in  every  way  to  the  standards  maintained 
by  the  best  public  schools.  Sufficient  time  should  be 
given  to  the  work  to  make  possible  a  vital  program  ade- 

60 


PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

quale  for  the  proper  nurture  and  training  of  childhood 
and  youth.  Lesson  material  and  activities  must  be 
carefully  selected.  Competent  teachers  are  a  necessity 
and  proper  supervision  is  essential. 

These  educational  standards,  important  as  they  are, 
will  not  secure  results  in  the  absence  of  proper  religious 
standards,  The  aim  of  religious  education  is  the 
child's  spiritual  development.  Its  success  is  measured 
by  the  progressive  changes  that  take  place  in  the  reli- 
gious experience  of  the  pupil.  This  does  not  mean 
simply  making  additions  to  his  fund  of  knowledge.  It 
means  a  progressive  reconstruction  of  experience  re- 
sulting in  an  increasing  sense  of  spiritual  values,  a 
growing  consciousness  of  God  and  Christ  in  the  life 
and  the  functioning  of  loyalties  to  religious  ideals. 
These  constitute  the  inclusive  standards  by  which  the 
results  of  teaching  and  learning  are  measured  and 
hence  the  criteria  to  be  used  in  program  making. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  PROGRAM   MAKING 

The  following  are  suggested  as  the  chief  principles 
which  should  govern  in  program  making : 

I.  A  program  of  religious  education  should  he 
planned  which  will  provide  opportunity  for  universal 
religious  instruction.  This  does  not  mean,  of  course, 
that  instruction  will  be  made  compulsory.  Such  a 
result  would  be  utterly  impossible  even  if  desirable. 
It  does  mean,  however,  that  in  every  community  in 
America  a  program  of  religious  instruction  should  be 
instituted  and  maintained  that  will  afford  favorable 
opportunity  for  every  child  in  the  community  to  re- 
ceive adequate  instruction  in  religion.  If  this  principle 
is  applied  in  the  widest  sense,  it  obviously  means  a 
very  different  program  both  in  character  and  extent 

6i 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

than  now  obtains.  It  means  a  vital,  thoroughgoing  co- 
operation of  all  the  churches  and  homes  in  a  com- 
munity in  the  enterprise  of  religious  education.  The 
public  school  and  other  community  agencies  will  also 
need  to  cooperate  in  ways  that  will  be  discussed  later, 
if  an  adequate  program  of  religious  education  is  pro- 
vided. In  the  absence  of  any  such  community  plan 
each  church  should  set  up  as  its  goal  religious  instruc- 
tion for  every  child  in  its  constituency  and  for  its  pro- 
portion of  the  children  in  the  community  whose  par- 
ents are  members  of  no  church.  If  each  church  will  be 
governed  by  this  principle,  something  worth  while  can 
be  accomplished  toward  providing  larger  opportunity 
than  now  prevails.  However,  nothing  short  of  a  thor- 
oughgoing cooperative  plan  of  some  sort  will  meet  the 
demands  of  the  situation. 

2.  The  program  must  he  determined  by  definite  reli- 
gious and  educational  standards.  These  will  serve  as 
criteria  for  formulating  the  program  and  for  check- 
ing up  on  its  results.  It  seems  quite  unnecessary  to  dis- 
cuss this  principle  in  any  detail.  In  the  preceding 
chapter  the  aims  of  religious  education  have  been  set 
forth,  and  these  or  similarly  clearly  defined  aims 
equally  fruitful  should  function  in  determining  the  na- 
ture and  extent  of  a  program  of  instruction. 

3.  It  should  he  of  such  extent  and  character  that  it 
will  parallel  and  supplement  puhlic  education  at  every 
point.  It  must  be  coordinated  with  the  program  of 
public  education  and  capitalize  to  the  fullest  possible 
extent  the  knowledge  and  experience  gained  by  chil- 
dren and  youth  in  public  schools  and  higher  institu- 
tions. In  effect  this  will  give  us  two  programs  of  edu- 
cation, one  maintained  by  the  state  and  the  other  by 
the  church.    This  means  that  the  program  of  religious 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

instruction  shall  cover  the  entire  period  included  in  the 
work  of  public  schools  and  that  of  higher  institutions. 
This  should  be  the  ultimate  goal  of  the  church,  and  it 
should  not  be  satisfied  until  it  is  reached. 

4.  The  program  must  he  so  worked  out,  and  so  ad- 
ministered, as  to  make  religious  instruction  an  inte- 
gral part  of  all  education.  As  long  as  religious  instruc- 
tion is  regarded  as  a  mere  appendage,  a  something  that 
is  to  be  added  to  education  as  an  after-thought,  or  as  a 
matter  of  extra-instruction,  it  will  never  accomplish  its 
full  purpose.  When  religious  education  comes  to  be 
regarded  in  the  same  light  as  civic  or  moral,  or  voca- 
tional, then  will  it  have  been  given  its  rightful  place. 
The  only  way  to  do  this  is  to  provide  for  it  in  a  pro- 
gram sufficiently  vital  and  extensive  to  put  it  on  an 
equality  with  other  kinds  of  education. 

5.  Sufficient  time  must  be  provided  in  the  program 
and  this  time  properly  utilized  to  secure  the  necessary 
emphasis  upon  each  of  the  aim^  of  instruction  and 
activities.  It  is  entirely  obvious  that  one  hour  a  week 
is  wholly  inadequate,  and  more  time  must  be  secured. 
If  more  time  is  provided,  it  will  not  be  utilized  prop- 
erly unless  it  is  wisely  distributed  with  respect  to  the 
aims  to  be  accomplished. 

6.  The  program  must  provide  proper  gradation  of 
work  with  respect  to  the  developmental  periods  of 
childhood  and  youth.  Grade  by  grade,  commencing 
with  the  kindergarten  and  extending  through  the  high 
school,  religious  instruction  should  be  as  well  suited  to 
the  needs,  interests  and  capacities  of  children  as  is  the 
work  of  the  best  public  schools.  The  most  of  our 
"graded  work"  in  the  Sunday  schools  does  not  fully 
measure  up  to  these  requirements.  A  more  thorough 
knowledge  of  child  psychology,  and  particularly  of  the 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

psychology  of  religious  development,  needs  to  be  ap- 
plied to  the  making  of  programs. 

7.  It  must  include  adequate  facilities  for  the  training 
of  teachers  and  administrators  in  the  field  of  religious 
education.  No  large  measure  of  success  ,can  be  hoped 
for  in  extending  the  program  for  children  unless  the 
training  of  teachers  is  provided  for.  A  subsequent 
chapter  is  devoted  to  this  general  topic. 

8.  Administration  of  the  program  must  be  provided 
in  harmony  with  its  extent  and  purposes.  This  means 
that  in  making  a  program  available  resources  with 
respect  to  administering  it  must  be  taken  fully  into 
account.  A  careful  study  should  be  made  by  the 
church,  or  by  the  churches  in  cooperation  in  a  com- 
munity, to  determine  two  things:  (i)  the  needs  with 
respect  to  a  program  of  religious  instruction,  and  (2) 
the  resources  available  as  to  funds,  buildings  and 
equipment,  and  personnel  to  carry  the  program  out. 
These  considerations  are  very  important  since  no  pro- 
gram can  be  successfully  superimposed  upon  a  church 
or  a  community.  It  must  be  determined  both  in  char- 
acter and  extent  by  local  conditions  and  needs.  The 
present  organizations  as  represented  by  the  Sunday 
school  and  young  people's  societies  are  not  sufficient  to 
administer  the  larger  program.  Other  agencies  are 
necessary  to  supplement  these  and  plans  of  administra- 
tion more  nearly  adequate  to  the  needs  will  be  required. 

EXTENT  OF  THE   PROGRAM 

The  formulation  of  an  inclusive  program  of  religious 
education  involves  two  things :  ( i )  to  provide  adequate 
instruction  and  activities  for  all  the  children  and  youth 
of  the  community,  and  (2)  to  provide  for  the  training 
of   competent   teachers   and   administrators    for   the 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

schools  which  no\vr  exist  and  others  which  may  be  or- 
ganized. 

A  community  task. — This  comprehensive  under- 
taking is  a  community  task.  It  should  be  so  regarded 
because  a  cooperation  of  all  the  religious,  educational, 
and  other  social  forces  in  the  community  is  essential  to 
the  success  of  the  enterprise.  In  what  way  this  co- 
operation can  best  be  secured  is  a  question  reserved  for 
discussion  later.  The  point  at  issue  here  is  that  reli- 
gious instruction  should  be  conceived  as  a  community 
problem,  and  its  solution  calls  for  a  program 
which  each  organization  providing  religious  in- 
struction should  consider  as  its  own  regardless 
of  how  the  details  are  carried  out.  The  various 
agencies  including  the  Sunday  schools  and  week-day 
schools  can  accomplish  something,  each  working  inde- 
pendently. But  it  is  very  obvious  that  in  such  a  plan 
there  will  be  lack  of  coordination  of  work  resulting  in 
duplication  and  also  neglect  at  certain  points  to  pro- 
vide children  with  a  well-conceived  unified  program  of 
religious  education. 

Need  of  a  imified  program. — The  importance  of 
thus  conceiving  a  program  of  religious  instruction  for 
children  and  youth  as  a  unified  whole  is  made  clear 
when  we  come  to  consider  the  nature  of  the  twofold 
aim.  The  aim  may  be  stated  as  follows:  (i)  To 
provide  instruction  for  all  of  the  children  in  a  com- 
munity in  the  recognized  and  accepted  universal  values 
of  religion.  (2)  To  afford  adequate  opportunity  for 
the  children  to  receive  differentiated  instruction  in  the 
doctrine,  sacraments,  polity,  history,  missionary  enter- 
prises and  modes  of  worship  of  the  various  churches. 
The  extent  to  which  the  several  denominations  wish 
to  have  the  children  of  their  respective  constituencies 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

receive  such  instruction  will  determine  the  nature  and 
extent  of  this  part  of  the  program.  These  two  pur- 
poses cannot  best  be  accomplished  by  two  separate  pro- 
grams each  being  formulated  and  administered  inde- 
pendently of  the  other.  On  the  other  hand,  they  can  be 
attained  best  by  a  single  program  composed  of  two 
well-defined  parts,  each  being  supplementary  to  the 
other.  As  pointed  out  above,  the  method  of  adminis- 
tering this  twofold  program  is  not  to  be  confused  with 
the  character  of  the  program  itself. 

As  an  illustration  of  a  typical  situation,  suppose  a 
community  has  five  churches  representing  as  many  dif- 
ferent denominations.  In  a  cooperative  enterprise  each 
church  will  regard  the  twofold  program  as  its  own. 
The  one  part,  designed  to  provide  instruction  in  the 
accepted  universal  values  of  religion,  will  be  identical 
for  all  five  churches.  The  other  part,  which  is  de- 
signed to  provide  differentiated  instruction  in  the 
doctrine,  modes  of  worship,  sacraments,  and  church 
history  and  polity,  will  be  determined  by  each  church 
without  regard  to  any  of  the  others.  If  two  or  more 
churches  desire  to  give  identical  instruction,  this  can, 
of  course,  be  done.  The  plan,  however,  leaves  each 
church  free  to  emphasize  its  own  denominational  char- 
acteristics to  any  extent  desired.  It  might  well  be  im- 
agined that  the  instruction  identical  for  all  the  churches 
would  be  given  in  week-day  schools  and  the  differen- 
tiated instruction  in  the  Sunday  school.  In  fact,  this 
plan  is  now  being  carried  out  in  some  communities. 

The  principle  announced  here  is  identical  with  that 
prevailing  in  the  public  schools.  The  program  is  made 
up  of  subjects  which  all  children  study  and  of  other 
subjects  from  which  selections  are  made  by  individuals 
or  groups.     The  former  are  called  the  common  ele- 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

ments,  and  the  latter  differentiated  elements.  Certain 
subjects  are  regarded  as  necessary  and  fundamental  to 
the  education  of  all  the  children.  Others  are  provided 
so  that  the  wishes  of  parents  and  the  interests  and 
capacities  of  children  themselves  may  be  taken  into 
account.  This  principle  is  now  fully  established  in 
educational  practice.  It  is  pedagogically  sound  and 
when  looked  at  from  the  social  point  of  view  it  is 
equally  defensible. 

The  application  of  this  principle  to  religious  educa- 
tion seems  fully  justified.  If  religion  is  to  become  an 
integral  part  of  education  and  is  to  function  properly 
in  the  various  social  relationships  discussed  in  the  pre- 
vious chapter,  there  must  be  common  elements  in  reli- 
gious instruction  in  larger  measure  than  now  obtains. 
This  can  be  secured  only  by  a  program  which  definitely 
provides  for  it.  Common  knowledge,  attitudes,  and 
ideals  cannot  be  secured  in  any  other  way. 

The  importance  of  this  is  self-evident.  There  is  an 
imperative  necessity  that  religion  should  function  more 
effectively  in  cooperative  enterprises  such  as  govern- 
ment, industry,  and  in  the  church  itself.  This  cannot  be 
hoped  for  except  on  a  basis  of  common  interests  and 
intelligence.  To  a  common  knowledge  of  science,  of 
government,  and  of  industry  must  be  added  a  common 
knowledge  of  religion.  It  is  true,  of  course,  that  no 
program  of  education  has  yet  been  devised  that  is  per- 
fect in  its  results.  But  any  program  of  religious  edu- 
cation formulated  in  accordance  with  this  principle  is 
sound  socially  and  will  be  justified  by  the  results. 

Having  provided  these  common  elements  in  the  pro- 
gram as  a  background  for  differentiated  elements,  the 
latter  are  also  fully  justified  on  social  grounds.  The 
church  as  an  institution  is  a  tremendously  valuable 

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ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

social  asset.  It  is  not  the  only  agency  through  which 
religious  ideals  and  character  find  expression,  but  it 
is  an  extremely  important  one.  It  is  of  such  great  sig- 
nificance that  its  continuance  as  an  agency  in  social 
betterment  and  control  is  an  absolute  necessity.  Any 
social  order  at  all  tolerable  is  inconceivable  without  the 
influence  and  ministry  of  the  church.  It  serves  better 
than  any  other  institution  in  the  religious  nurture  of 
individuals,  in  fostering  and  maintaining  religio-social 
bonds  and  in  affording  opportunity  for  cooperative 
religious  enterprises.  Education  must,  therefore,  take 
into  account  these  indispensable  functions  of  the 
church  as  a  social  institution  and  provide  for  intelli- 
gence concerning  its  mission  and  ministry. 

Program  not  identical  for  all  churches. — Under 
present  conditions  it  does  not  seem  at  all  probable  that 
an  educational  program  identical  in  all  respects  for 
all  the  churches  is  feasible.  In  fact,  such  a  program 
would  not  be  acceptable  to  them  even  if  desirable.  We 
speak  of  the  church  universal,  and  rightly  so.  There  is 
a  sense  in  which  this  inclusive  term  is  descriptive  of  the 
social  institution  which  we  call  the  church.  But  when 
we  come  to  deal  with  the  situation  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  functionings  of  this  institution,  we  find 
that  its  functions  are  performed  in  large  measure 
through  denominational  organizations.  We  are  deal- 
ing not  with  the  church  but  with  churches.  In  formu- 
lating an  educational  program  this  fact  must  be  taken 
into  account. 

Some  of  these  denominations  differ  but  little  from 
one  another  in  matters  of  doctrine,  modes  of  wor- 
ship, sacraments,  and  the  like.  Others  differ  widely 
in  these  particulars.  That  these  differences,  lesser  and 
greater,  have  been  responsible  for  intolerable  bigotry, 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

mutual  hatred  and  internecine  conflicts  is  a  matter  of 
common  knowledge.  It  is,  however,  a  matter  of  great 
religious  and  social  import  that  a  better  day  is  at  hand. 
Differences  are  being  composed,  and  where  they  still 
exist  there  is  evidence  that  they  are  being  made  to 
function  constructively  along  lines  of  cooperative  en- 
deavor. Church  federations  of  one  kind  and  another 
in  their  cooperative  enterprises  indicate  that  differences 
are  being  conceived  in  terms  of  means  rather  than  of 
ends.  The  apportionment  of  territory  among  the 
various  denominations  at  home  and  abroad  is  one  of 
the  hopeful  signs  that  antagonisms  are  giving  place  to 
cooperation.  Certain  common  tasks  in  which  a  num- 
ber of  churches  in  a  community  cooperate  is  another 
evidence  that  denominational  units  are  coming  to  be 
regarded  more  and  more  as  instruments  for  social 
service.  Thus  conceived,  they  are  indispensable  social 
agencies. 

It  is  the  desire  of  many  that  denominational  differ- 
ences should  be  further  adjusted  and  that  denomina- 
tional units  decrease  in  number  to  a  point  where  greater 
social  efficiency  will  be  possible.  All,  no  doubt,  agree 
that  they  should  be  made  to  function  constructively  in 
a  larger  way  than  they  are  now  doing  in  promoting 
the  common  Christian  enterprise  of  securing  a  new 
social  order.  One  of  the  purposes  of  the  program 
suggested  is  to  help  to  bring  this  about.  Denomina- 
tional integrity  is  not  inconsistent  with  effective  co- 
operation in  this  common  task  confronting  the  church. 
In  this  connection,  denominational  ideals  and  loyalties 
should  not  be  confused  with  petty  sectarian  contentions 
and  squabblings.  The  latter  are  a  social  menace  and 
are  subversive  to  the  interest  of  religion  itself.  The 
former  are  a  social  asset  and  constitute  one  of  the  evi- 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

dences  of  a  militant  Christianity.  Loyalty  to  one's 
church,  no  less  than  to  one's  home  and  to  one's  country, 
should  be  one  of  the  objectives  of  an  educational  pro- 
gram. In  all  these  relations  it  should  be  an  intelligent 
loyalty  made  sacred  and  compelling  by  its  significance 
in  the  wider  reaches  of  the  influence  of  the  church. 

Twofold  aim. — As  already  pointed  out,  the  pro- 
gram for  the  education  of  children  and  youth,  thus 
conceived,  consists  of  two  parts.  The  purpose  of  the 
one  part  is  to  afford  opportunity  for  all  the  children 
in  a  community  to  receive  instruction  in  the  common 
values  of  religion  without  regard  to  sectarian  bias  or 
denominational  interpretations  of  any  sort.  We  are 
here  seeking  the  inculcating  of  common  knowledge, 
attitudes,  and  ideals.  The  other  part  of  the  program 
furnishes  instruction  and  activities  which  will  serve  to 
make  church  membership  intelligent  and  effective;  to 
develop  loyalties  to  the  institution  and  to  its  enterprises. 

The  question  as  to  which  of  these  aims  should  re- 
ceive the  greater  emphasis  in  the  program  is  perhaps 
as  yet  merely  a  matter  of  opinion.  It  seems  obvious 
however,  that  the  part  of  the  program  which  makes 
provision  for  the  common  values  should  receive  an 
appropriate  emphasis.  In  any  event,  in  the  process  of 
program  making,  the  common  values  should  have  first 
consideration.  This  should  be  the  case  if  for  no  other 
reason  than  that  of  convenience.  It  would  be  very 
difficult  to  determine  what  the  differentiated  elements 
should  be  for  this  church,  and  that,  and  the  other,  until 
the  common  elements  are  agreed  upon.  But  there  is  a 
more  fundamental  reason  than  this.  The  common 
elements  in  religious  education  should  he  regarded  as 
fundamental  to  all  other  instruction,  not  only  because 
of  their  intrinsic  value  but  also  because  differentiated 

70 


PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

instruction  must  have  this  background  to  render  it 
most  effective. 

This  enlarged  and  more  vital  program  of  religious 
education  for  children  and  youth  calls  also  for  more 
adequate  facilities  for  the  training  of  administrators 
and  teachers.  At  the  present  time  those  who  admin- 
ister church  schools  and  those  who  teach  in  them  have 
little  or  no  training,  academic  or  professional  for  their 
work.  If  religious  instruction  is  to  become  a  vital  and 
integral  part  of  the  education  of  children  and  youth, 
this  condition  cannot  continue.  The  task  of  training 
teachers  and  administrators  will  have  to  be  taken  seri- 
ously and  adequate  facilities  provided.  This  is  a  com- 
munity problem  for  the  same  reasons  that  the  educa- 
tion of  children  is  a  community  problem.  The  entire 
program  of  religious  education,  therefore,  must  in- 
clude adequate  facilities  for  the  training  of  adminis- 
trators and  teachers.  It  is  inconceivable  that  any  ap- 
preciable improvement  can  be  hoped  for  until  adequate 
facilities  for  training  are  provided.  This  question  will 
be  discussed  in  detail  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

EXTENSION    OF   THE   TIME   SCHEDULE 

It  is  very  obvious  that  more  time  is  required  for 
religious  instruction.  The  traditional  one  hour  on 
Sunday,  which  is  now  devoted  to  it,  is  wholly  inade- 
quate. There  is  now  general  recognition  of  this  fact, 
and  various  plans  are  being  devised  to  secure  more 
time.  Three  plans  which  are  more  or  less  in  use  will 
be  mentioned. 

The  Strnday  school. — Extension  of  time  to  an  hour 
and  a  half  or  two  hours  is  taking  place  in  a  number 
of  Sunday  schools.  In  a  few  cases  a  three-hour  ses- 
sion is  being  maintained.     This  extension  of  time 

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ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

devoted  to  Sunday-school  instruction  is  highly  desir- 
able, and  such  extension  should  take  place  in  every 
Sunday  school  in  America.  Those  Sunday  schools 
which  have  extended  the  time  have  almost  without  ex- 
ception found  the  venture  entirely  successful.  It 
should  be  said,  however,  that  the  use  of  one  day  a  week 
in  religious  instruction,  regardless  of  the  number  of 
hours  devoted  to  it,  is  not  sufficient.  Religious  instruc- 
tion, if  adequate,  cannot  be  confined  to  one  day  in  the 
week,  whether  it  be  Sunday  or  week  day. 

Week-day  instruction. — Time  is  being  utilized  dur- 
ing week  days  for  religious  instruction.  This  plan  is 
now  receiving  attention  throughout  the  country,  and  a 
number  of  communities  have  already  organized  week- 
day schools.  The  plan  is  highly  commendable.  It 
provides  an  adequate  amount  of  time,  secures  proper 
distribution  of  work,  and  makes  it  possible  to  have 
more  frequent  meeting  of  classes.  The  latter  is  an 
extremely  important  consideration  in  any  program  of 
religious  education. 

School  credit  for  religious  instruction. —  One  of 
the  results  of  granting  public  school  credit  for  Bible 
study  is  to  increase  the  time  devoted  to  it.  This  plan 
has  been  adopted  in  a  number  of  cities,  and  several 
entire  States  have  undertaken  to  encourage  the  move- 
ment. It  is  closely  related  to  one  or  both  of  the  other 
two  plans.  In  some  cases  it  results  chiefly  in  raising 
the  standards  of  the  work  being  done  in  Sunday  schools 
and  other  organized  means  of  religious  instruction. 
In  most  cases,  however,  it  results  in  actual  extension 
of  time  devoted  to  the  work.  It  encourages  and  in 
most  instances  requires  that  a  certain  amount  of  time 
be  spent  in  the  preparation  of  lessons,  and  this,  of 
course,  results  in  an  extension  of  time.    On  the  whole, 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

however,  the  various  plans  in  use  for  giving  credit 
are  unsatisfactory.  A  more  detailed  discussion  of  this 
will  be  made  later. 

It  is  clear  that  there  is  a  widespread  movement  to 
secure  adequate  time  for  religious  education.  There  is 
lack  of  uniformity  concerning  how  much  time  should 
be  devoted  to  it,  but  there  is  general  agreement  that 
considerable  extension  should  be  secured.  It  is  the 
judgment  of  the  writer  that  no  plan  is  adequate  which 
does  not  contemplate  the  use  of  time  both  on  Sundays 
and  week  days.  This  will  insure  sufficient  amount  of 
time  and  will  also  make  possible  the  carrying  out  suc- 
cessfully of  the  twofold  program  already  discussed. 

Minimum  time  required. — Three  and  one  half 
hours  per  week  is  suggested  as  a  tentative  schedule.  It 
is  probably  true  that  no  one  is  competent  to  say  with 
any  degree  of  certainty  how  much  time  is  needed  for 
adequate  religious  instruction.  This  will  have  to  be 
determined  by  experience,  and  in  the  meantime  we 
shall  have  to  make  experiments.  A  few  such  experi- 
ments are  now  being  carried  on  and  we  are  able  to 
reach  certain  tentative  conclusions  as  a  result.  In 
most  cases  these  contemplate  the  use  of  from  three  to 
three  and  one  half  hours  per  week,  and  it  is  suggested 
that  we  regard  the  latter  as  a  minimum  time  to  be 
devoted  to  religious  instruction.  This  contemplates 
that  the  time  should  be  distributed  between  Sunday 
and  week  days  as  follows :  One  and  a  half  hours  on 
Sunday  and  two  hours  on  week  days.  Whether  this 
time  should  be  extended  will  have  to  be  determined  by 
experience.  As  pointed  out  above,  some  communities 
are  carrying  out  this  schedule  with  what  seems  to  be 
a  high  degree  of  success.  On  the  basis  of  this  ex- 
perience more  definite  conclusions  can  be  reached. 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

It  seems  important  in  this  connection  to  repeat  some- 
thing that  has  already  been  said,  namely,  that  there 
should  not  be  two  distinct  programs,  one  for  Sunday 
and  one  for  week  days.  On  the  contrary,  there  should 
be  a  single  program  consisting  of  two  parts,  one  for 
Sunday  and  one  for  week  days.  Each  church  should 
establish  an  educational  program  of  this  sort  regard- 
less of  whether  it  administers  the  entire  program 
itself  or  whether  the  week-day  instruction  is  carried 
on  in  community  schools,  established  and  main- 
tained by  cooperative  effort.  In  either  case  the  week- 
day instruction  will  provide  the  common  elements 
agreed  upon  by  the  cooperating  churches.  The  Sun- 
day schools  will  give  instruction  in  the  doctrines,  modes 
of  worship,  sacraments,  church  history  and  polity  if 
such  is  desired.  As  pointed  out  in  the  preceding  para- 
graph, the  nature  of  this  Sunday  program  is  to  be 
determined  entirely  by  each  church  according  to  its 
own  wishes.  The  point  made  here  is  that  if  instruction 
is  to  consist  of  doctrines,  modes  of  worship,  and  the 
like,  the  Sunday  school  is  the  proper  place  for  giv- 
ing this  instruction. 

PRESENT  CURRICULA 

This  larger  program  of  religious  education  and  ex- 
tension of  time  makes  necessary  some  far-reaching 
changes  in  curricula.  In  fact,  we  shall  have  three  cur- 
ricula, one  for  each  type  of  school,  namely,  week-day 
school,  the  Sunday  school,  and  the  training  school. 
Each  will  perform  its  own  functions,  not  independent 
of  the  others,  but  supplementary  to  them.  This  discus- 
sion will  not  include  any  reference  to  the  training 
schools,  that  being  reserved  for  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Present  curricula  imsatisfactory. — It  is  a  matter 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

of  common  knowledge  that  present  curricula  are  not 
satisfactory  in  the  following  particulars: 

1.  The  amount  of  material  is  not  adequate. 

2.  Much  of  the  subject-matter  being  used  is  not  well 
adapted  to  the  needs,  interests,  and  capacities  of  the 
children. 

3.  Its  organization  into  units  of  instruction  is  not 
satisfactory. 

4.  The  curricufa  themselves  are  loosely  organized 
and  do  not  secure  proper  gradation  of  work. 

Viewed  from  any  of  these  standpoints,  the  instruc- 
tion being  offered  in  the  field  of  religious  education 
is  inferior  to  that  being  provided  by  the  public  schools. 
This  is  not  said  with  the  intention  of  discrediting  reli- 
gious instruction  as  now  being  carried  on  or  of  under- 
estimating its  value.  The  fact,  however,  of  the  inferi- 
ority of  religious  instruction  as  now  carried  on  might 
just  as  well  be  faced.  Nothing  is  to  be  gained  by 
ignoring  the  facts  or  by  attempting  to  explain  them 
away.  There  are  certain  definite,  well-defined  princi- 
ples in  making  curricula  of  all  sorts  which  have  to 
be  observed  if  fruitful  results  are  expected  in  any  large 
measure.  Religious  education  is,  of  course,  no  excep- 
tion to  this  rule. 

Specific  aims  as  guides  in  reconstruction. — 
The  specific  aims  of  instruction  must  guide  in  the  selec- 
tion of  material.  These  aims  have  already  been  dis- 
cussed in  Chapter  III.  It  was  there  pointed  out  that 
there  are  certain  definite  ultimate  aims  in  religious  edu- 
cation which  are  to  be  attained  through  the  attainments 
of  more  immediate  aims.  It  is  the  latter  which  furnish 
the  more  specific  criteria  for  selecting  subject-matter. 
These  more  immediate  aims  are  conceived  in  terms  of 
fruitful  knowledge,  right  attitudes  and  ideals,  compel- 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

ling  motives,  right  habits  of  conduct,  and  useful  skills 
in  living. 

When  the  material  now  used  in  religious  instruction 
is  measured  by  these  standards,  much  of  it  is  found  to 
be  sadly  deficient.  Other  material  will  have  to  be  sub- 
stituted for  this  which  more  adequately  meets  the  re- 
quirements. It  should  also  be  said,  in  this  connection, 
that  the  extension  of  the  program  of  religious  educa- 
tion necessitates  the  selection  of  a  large  amount  of 
additional  material.  All  material  should  be  selected 
with  extreme  care  and  with  the  same  scientific  pre- 
cision as  now  obtains  in  the  field  of  public  education. 

Sources  of  subject-matter. —  Sources  of  subject- 
matter  must  be  adequate  to  supply  the  demand  of  the 
more  comprehensive  program.  The  two  general  types 
of  subject-matter  have  already  been  indicated,  the 
one  for  use  in  the  week-day  schools  and  the  other  in 
the  Sunday  schools.  The  former  is  wholly  nonsec- 
tarian  in  character  and  provides  the  recognized  uni- 
versal values  in  the  Christian  religion.  The  latter  fur- 
nishes instruction  in  the  doctrines,  modes  of  worship, 
sacraments,  enterprises,  and  the  like  of  the  various 
denominations  in  so  far  as  such  instruction  may  be 
desired.  This  twofold  program  is  rather  comprehen- 
sive in  its  scope  and  calls  for  adequate  sources  of 
material. 

Two  general  sources  are  available — biblical  and 
extra-biblical.  One  cannot  well  conceive  of  a  curricu- 
lum of  religious  education  that  does  not  include  con- 
siderable biblical  material.  The  Christian  religion  is 
in  a  very  real  sense  the  religion  of  a  Book.  This  fact 
cannot  be  ignored  in  selecting  material  for  any  pro- 
gram of  religious  instruction.  But  the  principle  gov- 
erning the  selection  and  use  of  material  is  not  different 

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PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

as  applied  to  the  Bible  than  it  is  when  applied  to  any 
other  source.  These  have  already  been  implied  in  the 
discussion  of  aims  in  a  previous  chapter.  They  may 
be  summarized  by  saying  that  no  material  is  worthy  of 
a  place  which  does  not  yield  fruitful  knowledge  which 
results  in  right  attitudes,  ideals,  and  motives. 

If  this  standard  is  applied,  it  is  clear  that  there  is 
much  in  the  Bible  that  is  not  well  adapted  particularly 
for  the  instruction  of  younger  children.  It  has  to  do 
with  another  time  and  with  people  whose  conditions 
and  circumstances  of  life  were  very  different  from 
ours.  Another  fact  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  in  this 
connection.  The  Bible  was  not  written  for  children. 
Much  of  its  terminology  is  not  suited  to  their  needs 
and  capacities.  No  misunderstanding  should  arise 
here.  The  use  of  the  Bible  is  indispensable  in  any  vital 
program  of  religious  instruction.  But  this  use,  to  be 
most  fruitful,  must  be  in  accord  with  sound  psycholog- 
ical and  pedagogical  principles.  The  application  of  these 
principles  enhances  its  value  and  increases  the  impor- 
tance of  its  use.  It  is  the  great  source  of  spiritual 
values.  But  these  cannot  be  superimposed  upon  the 
child.  He  must  acquire  these  values  and  the  subject- 
matter  must  be  adapted  to  his  capacity  to  learn.  For 
this  reason  much  of  the  material  is  improved  when 
rewritten  in  language  adapted  to  his  ability  to  under- 
stand and  assimilate. 

The  Christian  religion  is,  however,  more  than  a 
religion  of  a  Book.  It  is  a  religion  of  life.  Many 
contributions  have  been  made  since  biblical  times  to 
both  its  life  and  to  its  literature  which  reflects  that 
life.  Its  music  and  its  art  deserve  far  more  considera- 
tion than  is  being  accorded  them.  Their  intrinsic 
values  make  them  worthy  of  a  larger  place,  and  they 

77 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

magnify  the  importance  and  illuminate  the  spiritual 
message  of  the  Bible  itself.  These  all  furnish  impor- 
tant sources  of  material  which  should  be  used  in  far 
larger  measure  than  is  generally  being  done  at  the 
present  time. 

Tjrpes  of  material. — The  types  of  material  selected 
should  be  such  as  to  give  vitality  and  breadth  to  instruc- 
tion and  activities.  Literature,  history,  biography, 
geography,  art,  music,  composition,  handwork  and 
other  expressional  activities  constitute  the  more  im- 
portant inclusive  subjects.  The  following  is  an  enu- 
meration of  some  of  the  more  important  types:  Old 
Testament  literature,  history,  and  biography;  New 
Testament  literature  and  biography  with  emphasis  on 
the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  The  lives  of  the 
apostles,  including  accounts  of  their  missionary  enter- 
prises; biblical  and  missionary  geography;  missionary 
enterprise,  home  and  foreign;  nature  studies  empha- 
sizing the  religious  factor ;  music  and  art,  including  pic- 
tures and  drawings;  dramatization  of  biblical  and  other 
stories;  expressional  activities.  These  types  enumer- 
ated are  merely  suggestive  of  the  general  character  and 
scope  of  the  material  to  be  used. 

Organization  of  material. — The  material  must  be 
organized  into  properly  adapted  units  of  instruction. 
In  public  education,  units  of  instruction  are  conceived 
in  terms  of  subjects,  and  also  a  further  refinement  of 
units  is  secured  through  organizing  subject-matter  with 
respect  to  given  units  of  time.  For  example,  we  regard 
the  first  year  of  the  child  in  school,  and  each  succeeding 
year,  as  constituting  a  unit  of  time.  In  many  schools 
a  half  year  is  regarded  as  a  unit.  This  is  the  basis 
upon  which  the  gradation  of  pupils  takes  place.  The 
child  completes  a  unit  of  work,  consisting  either  of  a 

78 


PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

half  year  or  a  whole  year  of  instruction.  He  is  then 
promoted  to  the  next  higher  grade  if  the  work  has  been 
satisfactorily  done.  Both  the  amount  and  character 
of  work  constituting  a  unit  are  determined  by  the 
needs,  interests,  and  capacities  of  the  child.  An  at- 
tempt has  been  made  to  secure  some  such  organization 
of  the  material  used  in  religious  instruction,  but  with 
only  partial  success. 

The  proper  organization  of  subject-matter  involves 
also  another  problem,  namely,  the  arrangement  of  the 
subject-matter  constituting  a  unit.  This  means  the 
subdivision  of  large  units  into  as  many  small  units  as 
there  are  periods  of  instruction  during  the  year  or  the 
half  year.  These  smaller  units  constitute  the  lessons 
studied  and  recited  upon  day  by  day.  These  should  be 
of  proper  length  and  this  is  to  be  determined  by  the 
amount  of  time  that  can  be  given  to  recitation  and  the 
degree  of  difficulty  of  mastery  involved.  This  mate- 
rial in  turn  must  be  organized  with  reference  to  teach- 
ing and  learning  points  in  the  lessons. 

Mind  of  child  determining  factor. — Throughout 
this  whole  process  of  organization  of  material  the 
mind  of  the  child  is  the  determining  factor.  The 
amount  of  material  constituting  any  one  of  these  larger 
or  smaller  units,  the  degree  of  its  difficulty,  the  experi- 
ence of  the  child  in  mastering  subject-matter,  and  the 
order  in  which  a  child  naturally  learns  a  thing,  must 
all  be  taken  into  account.  This  all  means  that  what  we 
call  the  psychological  rather  than  the  logical  method  of 
organization  should  be  used.  How  the  mind  of  the 
child  learns,  as  well  as  what  and  how  much  it  can  learn, 
must  control  in  the  organization  of  subject-matter. 

Importance  of  permanent  and  attractive  form. — 
Subject-matter  should  be  put  into  permanent  and  at- 

79 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

tractive  form.  The  present  form  in  which  the  most  of 
the  material  of  religious  instruction  is  presented  is 
unsatisfactory.  The  ordinary  lesson  leaflet  is  one  of 
the  great  sources  of  waste  and  inefficiency.  It  is  fre- 
quently badly  printed,  the  paper  used  is  poor  in  quality, 
and  its  whole  appearance  is  cheap.  The  illustrations 
in  general  are  inferior  in  quality  and  many  of  them  ill 
adapted  to  their  intended  uses.  When  this  whole  situa- 
tion is  contrasted  with  that  of  the  public  school,  the 
practice  stands  out  in  a  very  unfavorable  light.  The 
material  in  religious  instruction  should  be  printed  in 
textbook  form.  These  texts  should  be  printed  on  good 
paper,  in  clear  type,  and  the  illustrations  should  be 
high  grade  from  the  artistic  standpoint.  The  books 
should  be  well  bound  and  attractive  in  appearance. 
They  should  in  every  respect  measure  up  to  the  high- 
est standards  attained  in  the  making  of  public-school 
texts.  "Religious  truth  should  not  suffer  the  indignity 
of  being  printed  the  mechanical  inferiors  of  the  patent 
medicine  folder."^ 

Organization  of  curricula. — The  various  subjects  or 
units  constituting  the  subject-matter  to  be  taught  must 
be  organized  into  well  articulated  curricula.  This  is 
absolutely  essential  to  any  suitable  gradation  of  pupils. 
Any  well-graded  school  has  as  its  foundation  a  series 
of  subjects  or  units  arranged  in  proper  sequence  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  developing  interests  and  capacities  of 
children.  Well-organized  curricula,  therefore,  means 
well-graded  curricula.  The  public  schools  furnish 
examples  which  will  be  very  useful  in  the  reconstruc- 
tion of  curricula  to  be  used  in  religious  instruction. 
Two  curricula  will  be  required,  one  for  the  week-day 

» Betts,  G.  H.    The  Curriculum  of  Religious  Education.    Occasional  Papers  No. 
a.  Department  of  Religious  Education,  Northwestern  University. 

80 


PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

school  and  one  for  the  Sunday  school.  The  prob- 
lem is  somewhat  simplified  by  the  fact  that  a  single 
curriculum  for  each  type  of  school  is  all  that  is  re- 
quired. All  the  children  in  each  of  the  grades  of  these 
schools  will  take  the  same  work.  No  attempt  at  pres- 
ent, at  least,  will  be  made  to  provide  elective  subjects 
as  is  done  in  the  public  schools,  particularly  for  the 
pupils  in  the  higher  elementary  grades  and  the  high 
school. 

Proper  correlation  of  curricula. — The  two  curric- 
ula, one  for  the  week-day  school  and  the  other  for  the 
Sunday  school,  should  be  closely  correlated.  It  is  not 
a  question  of  which  is  the  more  important  of  the  two. 
Both  are  essential  in  any  adequate,  well-planned  pro- 
gram of  religious  education.  Each  will  perform  its 
own  functions  as  supplementary  to  the  other.  In  the 
very  nature  of  the  case,  however,  the  standards  for  cor- 
relation will  be  determined  by  the  week-day  curriculum 
in  the  case  of  the  community  school.  This  will  provide 
the  common  elements  of  instruction,  and  its  character 
and  extent  will  have  to  be  determined  first  in  any  plan 
of  curriculum-making.  The  instruction  which  it  pro- 
vides will  be  wholly  nonsectarian  in  character,  and  it 
will  constitute  the  part  of  the  whole  program  common 
to  all  the  cooperating  churches  in  the  community.  In 
effect,  this  means  that  the  curricula  of  the  various 
Sunday  schools  of  the  cooperating  churches  will  have 
to  be  reorganized  with  reference  to  the  character  and 
extent  of  the  week-day  curriculum.  They  may  differ 
much  or  little  among  themselves,  but  they  must  all  be 
correlated  with  the  instruction  and  activities  provided 
by  the  common  curriculum. 

Influence  of  enlarged  program. — Any  enlargement 
of  the  program  of  religious  education  to  the  extent  of 

8i 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

including  week-day  instruction,  whether  community 
schools  are  established  or  not,  will  call  for  considerable 
reorganization  of  curricula.  The  mere  extension  of 
the  work  of  the  Sunday  schools  will  not  be  sufficient. 
None  of  the  series  of  lessons  now  in  use  are  adequate. 
If  a  church  elects  to  extend  the  work  of  its  school  to 
include  week-day  instruction,  the  problem  is  somewhat 
simplified.  But  the  task  of  reorganizing  its  present 
curriculum  still  remains  and  the  necessity  for  a  correla- 
tion of  Sunday  and  week-day  instruction  is  not  re-' 
moved.  The  task  is  rendered  somewhat  less  difficult 
but  no  less  important. 

Correlation  with  the  public  school. — One  of  the 
problems  confronting  the  makers  of  curricula  for 
week-day  schools  is  the  correlation  of  the  work  with 
that  of  the  public  school.  If  religious  instruction  is  to 
become  an  integral  part  of  the  education  of  the  child, 
proper  correlation  of  the  work  of  the  two  schools  is 
imperative.  It  is  extremely  important  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  work  of  both  schools.  If  religious  instruc- 
tion is  to  make  more  vital  the  work  of  the  public 
schools,  their  program  of  instruction  and  activities 
must  be  taken  fully  into  account.  Two  parallel  pro- 
grams cannot  be  maintained  irrespective  of  each  other 
without  injury  to  the  work  of  both.  The  problem  of 
correlation  belongs  to  the  administrators  and  teachers 
of  both  types  of  schools.  The  curricula  of  the  public 
schools  are  already  well  established  and  those  of  week- 
day schools  are  only  in  the  process  of  formulation. 
This  places  a  large  measure  of  responsibility  for  se- 
curing proper  correlations  upon  the  administrators  and 
teachers  of  the  latter.  Any  effective  cooperation  of 
public  schools  and  week-day  schools  is  impossible  in 
the  absence  of  proper  correlation  of  work. 

82 


PROGRAM  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

Task  of  reconstruction. — The  problem  of  recon- 
struction is  one  of  the  most  important  ones  in  the 
whole  field  of  religious  education.  Nothing  will  be 
gained  by  underestimating  the  magnitude  or  the  diffi- 
culty of  this  problem.  The  proper  extension  of  the 
program  alone  calls  for  additional  material  in  large 
amounts.  This  large  body  of  material  for  the  most 
part  remains  to  be  selected  and  this  in  itself  is  a  for- 
midable task.  In  fact,  much  of  the  kind  of  material 
needed  does  not  exist  in  usable  form,  and  will  have 
to  be  produced.  In  the  meantime  selections  will  have 
to  be  made  from  all  available  sources  and  the  material 
organized  into  curricula.  It  is  entirely  clear  that  the 
mere  expansion  of  present  curricula  will  utterly  fail  to 
meet  the  needs.  Fundamental  reconstruction  is  called 
for,  and  this  involves  much  construction  along  lines  not 
hitherto  followed  in  religious  education.  This  pioneer 
work  requires  experimentation,  guided  by  clear  reli- 
gious and  educational  ideals. 

The  experience  of  public  school  administrators  and 
teachers  in  reconstructing  curricula  in  response  to  the 
demands  of  a  rapidly  expanding  educational  program 
is  available.  This  experience  during  the  last  decade 
is  particularly  suggestive.  The  process  of  reconstruc- 
tion is  by  no  means  completed.  Important  readjust- 
ments still  need  to  be  made,  but  enough  has  been  ac- 
complished to  furnish  valuable  aid  to  those  who  have 
the  responsibility  of  a  similar  task  in  the  field  of  reli- 
gious education. 

This  experience  has  proved  conclusively  that  a  pro- 
gram cannot  be  expanded  merely  by  adding  new  sub- 
jects to  the  curricula  already  established.  At  first  the 
plan  was  tried  and  it  failed.  It  resulted  in  an  unbal- 
anced program  and  led  to  confusion  and  cross  purposes 

83 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

in  the  work  of  the  school.  It  was  seen  that  a  properly 
conceived  curriculum  does  not  consist  of  an  aggrega- 
tion of  more  or  less  unrelated  subjects.  Some  principle 
of  unity  must  govern,  and  this  was  found  in  the  needs, 
interests,  and  capacities  of  the  child.  It  became  appar- 
ent that  a  thorough  reconstruction  was  demanded,  and 
this  process  is  still  going  on.  This  involves  elimina- 
tion of  obsolete  material,  the  addition  of  new  material, 
certain  shifts  of  emphasis  in  instruction  and  a  thorough 
correlation  to  secure  unity  in  the  work.  Familiarity 
with  what  has  been  done  and  is  now  being  done  in  this 
respect  in  the  public  schools  is  a  valuable  asset  for  those 
who  are  attempting  to  reconstruct  curricula  in  religious 
education. 


84 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

In  the  preceding  chapter  religious  instruction  was 
conceived  in  terms  of  a  community  program  in  the 
sense  that  every  child  should  be  given  the  opportunity 
to  receive  adequate  religious  instruction.  Cooperative 
action  is  required  for  carrying  out  such  a  program. 
This  cannot  be  accomplished  unless  the  community  is 
properly  organized  as  an  educational  agency. 

Universal  religious  instruction  is  not  possible  in  any 
community  unless  two  conditions  are  met:  (i)  Ade- 
quate facilities  must  be  provided,  and  (2)  the  interest 
of  the  community  as  a  whole  must  be  enlisted  and 
caused  to  function  in  such  way  as  to  secure  a  response 
on  the  part  of  parents  and  children  to  the  largest  pos- 
sible extent.  In  the  beginning  of  this  larger  movement 
in  any  community,  organization  is  necessary  in  order 
to  secure  leadership  and  to  arouse  interest  on  the  part 
of  the  people  in  general.  When  .such  leadership  is 
secured  and  the  interest  aroused,  the  continuance  of  the 
organization  is  essential  for  carrying  on  the  work.  It 
is  very  important,  therefore,  that  this  matter  receive 
due  attention. 

EDUCATION  CONCEIVED  IN  SOCIAL  TERMS 

Education  can  no  longer  be  conceived  merely  in 
terms  of  individual  concern  or  as  belonging  to  any  one 
particular  group  or  groups  considered  apart  from  the 
community  as  a  whole.  Secular  education  bears  abun- 
dant evidence  to  these  facts.    It  was  once  regarded  as 

8s 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

being  the  concern  of  the  individuals  or  of  groups,  each 
acting  rather  independently  of  the  other.  This,  how- 
ever, has  all  passed  and  we  have  come  to  regard  educa- 
tion as  a  community  function.  As  a  result  of  this  we 
have  community  organization  through  which  the  work 
of  the  public  schools  is  carried  on. 

Religious  instruction  an  integral  part  of  all  ed- 
ucation.— The  home,  of  course,  has  a  great  responsi- 
bility for  the  religious  nurture  and  instruction  of  the 
children.  The  church  likewise  as  a  religious  institution 
has  a  large  measure  of  responsibility.  To  which  of 
these  institutions  belongs  the  larger  responsibility  is  not 
the  question  for  discussion  here.  As  social  institutions 
each  must  play  an  important  part  in  the  education  of 
children.  Parents  and  church  members,  however,  are 
not  the  only  ones  concerned  in  the  religious  instruction 
of  children.  Everybody  in  the  community,  regardless 
of  their  relations  to  either  home  or  church,  has  a  share 
of  responsibility.  The  home  and  the  church  are  very 
much  concerned  about  what  kind  of  men  and  women 
children  are  to  become.  Others  are  likewise  concerned 
and  therefore  have  responsibility  in  the  matter  of  an 
educational  program. 

If  the  above  conclusions  are  correct,  it  cannot  be 
said  that  religious  instruction  is  not  a  matter  in  which 
the  community  as  a  whole  is  interested  any  less  than  it 
is  in  civic,  moral,  vocational,  and  avocational  instruc- 
tion, all  of  which  are  intended  to  fit  the  child  for  useful 
citizenship.  Let  it  be  said  here  that  this  point  of  view 
in  no  way  relieves  the  home  and  the  church  of  their 
responsibilities  and  does  not  take  from  them  the  duty 
of  performing  any  functions  which  of  right  belong  to 
them.  The  whole  purpose  of  this  discussion  is  to 
make  clear  that  an  adequate  program  of  religious  in- 

86 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

struction  depends  upon  the  cooperation  of  all  the  forces 
in  the  community  which  are  interested  in  the  develop- 
ment of  childhood  and  youth  into  men  and  women 
who  will  serve  their  day  and  generation  effectively. 
If  this  is  accepted  the  only  question  remaining 
is,  How  can  the  community  be  organized  in  such  way 
as  to  carry  on  the  work  of  religious  instruction  the 
most  successfully?  The  general  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion is  found  in  the  kind  of  program  which  has  been 
suggested.  It  was  there  pointed  out  that  we  shall  have 
in  effect  a  threefold  program.  One  part  will  provide 
for  the  training  of  teachers  and  other  religious  and 
social  workers.  A  second  section  will  provide  week- 
day religious  instruction  in  which  the  common  values 
of  religion  are  taught  and  from  which  all  sectarian 
instruction  is  eliminated.  The  third  will  provide  for 
intelligence  concerning  the  doctrines,  sacraments,  his- 
tory, and  polity  of  the  various  churches.  The  com- 
munity as  a  whole  should  be  vitally  interested  in  car- 
rying out  each  part  of  this  program.  It  needs  both 
good  churchmen  and  good  citizens. 

THE   COUNCIL 

The  particular  kind  of  organization  in  any  com- 
munity will  depend  in  large  measure  upon  local  condi- 
tions. Some  kind  of  effective  organization  which  will 
secure  the  hearty  cooperation  of  all  of  the  constructive 
forces  of  the  community  is  absolutely  essential.  Or- 
ganizations of  one  kind  or  another  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  out  this  larger  program  already  exist  in  a 
number  of  communities.  In  some  of  these  the  term 
"Community  Council"  is  used,  and  in  others  the  organ- 
ization is  called  "Church  Council."  Either  term  may 
be  used  to  designate  the  community  organization. 

87 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Two  things  considered. —  (i)  The  functions  which 
the  organization  will  perform  are  a  determining  factor. 
(2)  The  size,  homogeneity,  and  other  characteristics 
of  the  community  enter  into  a  determination  of  the 
best  kind  of  organization  to  carry  on  a  community 
enterprise.  One  of  the  more  general  functions  of  this 
Community  Council  is  to  promote  interest  in  the  enter- 
prise, secure  the  intelligent  functioning  of  this  interest, 
and  give  stability  to  it.  The  more  specific  functions 
will  depend  for  their  character  and  extent  upon  two 
things:  (i)  The  needs  of  the  community  which  this 
particular  organization  will  seek  to  supply.  (2)  The 
resources  for  carrying  on  the  work  which  will  be  at  the 
command  of  the  organization. 

Existing  conuniinity  organizations. — Some  exam- 
ples will  be  given  of  the  overhead  organizations  of 
communities  where  Community  Councils  have  been 
formed.  The  titles  of  these  organizations  are  not 
identical,  but  the  general  functions  are  very  much  the 
same. 

In  Evanston,  Illinois,  a  Council  of  Religious  Edu- 
cation was  formed  in  October,  1919.  The  plan  of 
organization  has  been  changed  since  that  time.  It 
seems  desirable,  however,  to  give  a  brief  description 
of  it,  since  the  program  was  carried  on  for  about  a 
year  and  a  half  under  this  plan.  The  Council  as  now 
organized  will  receive  attention  in  a  subsequent  para- 
graph. A  group  of  citizens  who  were  interested  in 
extending  the  program  of  religious  education  and  who 
felt  the  need  of  a  more  unified  plan  for  carrying  on 
other  community  enterprises,  called  a  public  meeting 
for  the  discussion  of  the  whole  matter.  At  this  meet- 
ing committees  were  appointed  to  consider  the  vari- 
ous phases  of  the  subject  and  were  directed  to  report 

88 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

their  conclusions  at  a  later  general  meeting.  This  was 
done  and  resulted  in  the  formulation  and  adoption 
of  a  constitution  under  which  a  more  unified  com- 
munity program  could  be  carried  on.  The  constitu- 
tion provided  that  this  Council  "shall  be  composed  of 
one  hundred  or  more  leading  citizens  who  are  repre- 
sentative of  the  churches  and  the  major  educational, 
social,  political,  welfare,  and  economic  interest  of  the 
city."  The  Council  was  self -perpetuating  and  mem- 
bership was  constituted  by  nominations  and  elections 
at  the  annual  meetings. 

The  Council  elected  the  usual  officers,  president,  vice- 
president,  secretary  and  treasurer,  at  its  annual  meet- 
ings. These  officers  were  ex  officio  members  of  the 
Executive  Committee.  Six  other  members  were  elected 
as  follows :  two  for  a  term  of  one  year,  two  for  a  term 
of  two  years,  and  two  for  a  term  of  three  years.  At 
each  annual  meeting  it  was  provided  that  two  mem- 
bers should  be  elected  to  serve  for  a  term  of  three 
years.  The  Council  also  elected  the  Board  of  Reli- 
gious Education  consisting  of  seven  members.  The 
constitution  contemplated  that  the  Council  should  pro- 
vide for  a  larger  program  than  that  of  religious  in- 
struction. In  order  to  do  this  certain  commissions 
were  provided  for,  namely:  "(i)  Finance  Commis- 
sion; (2)  A  Commission  on  Americanization;  (3) 
Commission  on  Interchurch  Play  and  Recreation;  (4) 
A  Commission  on  the  relationship  of  Public,  Church, 
Parochial  and  Synagogue  Schools;  and  such  other 
commissions  as  the  majority  of  the  Council  deem 
necessary." 

Reorganization  has  recently  taken  place  which  limits 
somewhat  the  scope  of  the  work  and  changes  the  form 
of  organization.     It  is  now  called  "The  Evanston 

89 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Church  Council  of  Religious  Education,"  and  is  con- 
stituted as  follows:  '*(i)  Pastors  of  the  cooperating 
churches;  (2)  Sunday  school  superintendents  of  the 
cooperating  churches;  (3)  Appointed  laymen  of  these 
churches,  one  for  each  three  hundred  communicants 
or  less,  and  one  additional  representative  for  each  three 
hundred  members  above  the  first  three  hundred  in 
each  church,  with  a  limit  of  three  representatives  from 
each;  (4)  **A  fourth  class  of  membership  in  the  Coun- 
cil shall  be  constituted  of  people  elected  by  the  Execu- 
tive Committee,  not  to  exceed  five  in  number."  The 
Council  elects  the  usual  officers,  who  perform  the  cus- 
tomary duties  of  their  respective  offices.  An  Executive 
Committee  consisting  of  fifteen  members  is  appointed 
by  the  Council.  This  Committee  performs  its  duties 
through  subcommittees  as  follows:  "(i)  Committee 
on  Teachers;  (2)  Committee  on  Curriculum;  (3) 
Committee  on  Finance;  (4)  Committee  on  PubHcity; 
(5)  Committee  on  Buildings  and  Equipment." 

An  organization  somewhat  similar  to  the  one  in 
Evanston  was  formed  about  the  same  time  in  the  re- 
gion known  as  the  Calumet  District,  situated  in  Lake 
County,  Indiana.  The  title  of  the  organization  is 
"The  Calumet  District  Council  of  Religious  Educa- 
tion and  Social  Service."  The  Council  was  organized 
not  by  a  single  community,  as  in  the  case  of  Evanston, 
but  by  several  communities  desiring  to  cooperate  in 
the  promotion  of  religious  education  and  other  social 
interests.  Indiana  Harbor,  East  Chicago,  Whiting, 
and  Hammond  are  included  and  provision  is  made  for 
other  nearby  communities  to  come  into  the  organiza- 
tion if  they  so  desire. 

The  organization  as  first  constituted  provided  that 
all  members  of  the  Council  should  be  elected  at  its 

90 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

annual  meetings,  elections  being  limited  to  nomina- 
tions made  by  the  Executive  Committee  and  the  par- 
ticipating churches.  The  former  was  composed  of  not 
less  than  ten  members,  four  of  whom  were  officers  of 
the  Council,  and  the  remainder  appointed  by  the  Cal- 
umet District  Church  and  Mission  Federation.  This 
mode  of  procedure  in  selecting  Council  members  has 
been  changed  recently.  At  present  the  several  coop- 
erating churches  in  each  community  appoint  a  specified 
number  of  persons  to  serve  as  members  of  the  local 
Board  of  Religious  Education.  These  boards,  four  in 
number,  constitute  the  District  Council,  which  ap- 
points an  Executive  Committee  to  perform  its  admin- 
istrative functions.  Matters  of  general  interest  are 
taken  care  of  by  this  committee.  The  local  boards 
have  full  power  in  all  matters  of  detail. 

A  third  example  of  community  organization  is  found 
at  Maiden,  Massachusetts,  in  the  *'Malden  Council  of 
Religious  Education."  This  contemplates  two  types 
of  organization  which  are  very  similar.  "When  a 
Community  Council  incorporates  under  the  laws  of  the 
State,  it  will  have  a  Board  of  Directors,  through  which 
it  will  carry  on  the  work  of  the  corporation,  and  the 
Council  will  create  an  Executive  Committee  for  the 
same  purpose.  This  Board  is  in  fact  a  city  Board  of 
Religious  Education."  The  following  commissions 
are  provided  for:  (i)  Commission  on  Community 
Music,  Pageantry  and  Art;  (2)  Commission  on  Sur- 
veys; (3)  Commission  on  Week-Day  Bible  School; 
(4)  Commission  on  the  Relation  of  Public,  Church, 
Synagogue,  and  Parochial  Schools.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  functions  of  this  Council  include  more  than 
providing  and  administering  a  program  of  religious 
education. 

91 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

The  smaller  and  more  homogeneous  communities 
will  not  need  to  have  an  organization  constituted  in 
such  detail.  The  type  of  organization  required  will 
be  suggestive  in  a  general  way  of  the  steps  to  be  taken 
in  forming  it  and  some  of  the  details  for  initiating  and 
carrying  out  a  more  extensive  program  of  religious 
education.  Administrative  machinery  is  not,  of  course, 
an  end  in  itself,  but  only  a  means  to  an  end.  It  should, 
therefore,  be  constituted  in  such  way  as  to  serve  a 
particular  community  in  the  most  effective  manner. 

Fundamental  characteristics  of  successful  organi- 
zation.— I.  It  should  be  representative  of  all  the 
constructive  social  forces  of  the  community.  Reli- 
gious education  should  be  a  community  enterprise,  as 
has  already  been  pointed  out.  It  becomes  such  only 
when  it  is  a  matter  of  community  interest  and  coopera- 
tion. Any  organization,  therefore,  that  seeks  to  pro- 
mote religious  education  for  the  community  as  a  whole 
must  be  a  representative  body.  The  churches  will,  of 
course,  bear  a  large  share  of  the  responsibility  and 
should  have  adequate  representation.  Other  organiza- 
tions, industrial,  commercial,  philanthropic,  and  social, 
being  interested  in  the  general  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity and  particularly  in  the  matter  of  education, 
should  assume  their  due  share  of  responsibility  in  car- 
rying on  a  program  of  religious  education.  These 
various  organizations  will  no  doubt  secure  proper  rep- 
resentation in  any  community,  but  opportunity  should 
also  be  provided  for  public-spirited  individuals  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  community  enterprise.  One  of  the  func- 
tions of  this  organization  is  to  arouse  public  interest 
and  secure  its  functioning  in  the  most  effective  way. 
It  is  not,  therefore,  desirable  to  have  an  organization 
so  restricted  in  its  makeup  as  to  give  the  appearance  of 

92 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

doing  something  for  the  community  rather  than  as 
serving  as  an  agent  through  which  the  community  as  a 
whole  can  carry  on  its  own  enterprise.  In  the  smaller 
communities  the  Council  might  well  include  a  large 
proportion  of  the  people  in  its  membership.  In  the 
larger  communities  the  proportional  number  will  have 
to  be  much  less,  but  its  membership  should  be  thor- 
oughly representative. 

2.  It  is  very  important  that  the  organization  be 
made  permanent.  The  marvelous  growth  of  the  public 
school  in  this  country  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  constructive  forces  of  society  have  a  permanent 
organization  through  which  to  function.  Until  that 
was  accomplished  the  whole  program  of  public  educa- 
tion was  on  a  precarious  foundation.  Carrying  out 
educational  programs  must  not  be  subject  to  the  fluctu- 
ating interests  and  abilities  of  individuals  or  to  groups 
temporarily  organized  for  promoting  educational  pro- 
jects. Permanent  success  cannot  rest  merely  upon  good 
will  or  general  philanthropic  interest.  These  are  neces- 
sary assets,  but  they  have  to  be  maintained  through 
permanent  organization,  and  their  successful  function- 
ing depends  upon  the  stability  of  such  organization.  A 
keen  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  permanent  suc- 
cess of  educational  endeavor  must  be  lodged  somewhere 
in  an  organization  which  is  as  permanent  as  the  desired 
permanency  of  the  work  to  be  carried  on. 

3.  In  order  to  make  this  organization  permanent, 
it  must  itself  rest  upon  permanent  organizations  in  the 
community.  Churches  and  other  organizations  al- 
ready cited  furnish  examples.  It  is  a  matter  of  great 
importance  that  the  former  in  particular  shall  give 
whole-hearted  support  to  the  community  program. 
The  function  of  the  church  peculiarly  fits  it  for  sup- 

93 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

porting  and  successfully  functioning  through  an  organ- 
ization of  this  kind.  It  is  true  that  permanence  cannot 
be  secured  in  a  day.  Churches  are  not  accustomed  in 
many  communities  to  regard  religious  instruction  as  a 
community  enterprise  or  with  rare  exception  to  think 
of  it  as  being  carried  on  by  other  agencies.  The  same 
thing  is  true  of  other  organizations  and  individuals 
whose  interest  should  be  enlisted  and  cooperation  se- 
cured. 

4.  Both  interest  and  cooperation  must  rest  finally 
upon  intelligence  made  to  function  through  a  sense  of 
responsibility.  At  the  very  outset,  therefore,  a  pro- 
gram should  be  carefully  planned  and  executed  by  the 
leadership  in  this  movement  to  educate  the  community 
concerning  the  needs  of  more  adequate  religious 
instruction.  Foundations  should  be  laid  for  this  pro- 
gram by  making  a  careful  survey  of  the  community. 
This  should  reveal  the  number  of  children  not  receiv- 
ing formal  religious  instruction,  the  number  enrolled 
in  the  Sunday  schools,  the  interest  of  parents  in  the 
project,  and  the  available  resources  for  carrying  on 
the  work.  It  is  also  desirable  to  gather  information 
from  other  communities  where  community  projects  are 
in  operation. 

Agencies  at  the  command  of  the  Council. — Other 
functions  than  that  of  promoting  a  program  of  reli- 
gious education  will  no  doubt  be  performed  by  this 
Community  Council,  but  its  chief  function  will  be  to 
promote  such  a  program.  In  order  to  do  this  it  may 
function  through  agencies  already  established  or 
through  other  agencies  created,  or  both.  In  any  case 
one  of  the  functions  of  the  Council  is  to  secure  a  more 
adequate  program  of  religious  instruction  carried  on 
as  a  community  enterprise  from  the  standpoint  (i)  of 

94 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

securing  opportunity  for  universal  religious  instruc- 
tion and  (2)  to  enlist  the  interest  and  cooperation  of 
all  the  constructive  forces  of  the  community  in  this 
enterprise.  How  these  two  ends  can  be  accomplished 
will  no  doubt  depend  itself  upon  two  things:  (a)  the 
extent  and  character  of  the  program  to  be  carried  out 
and  (b)  the  local  conditions  in  the  community. 

It  is  clear  that  instruction  will  have  to  be  more  ade- 
quate than  is  being  provided  by  the  Sunday  school  or 
than  can  be  provided  by  that  institution.  Week-day 
instruction  is  a  necessity  and  no  program  will  be  ade- 
quate that  does  not  make  provision  for  it.  The  ques- 
tion before  us  has  to  do  with  the  most  effective  agencies 
at  the  command  of  the  Council  or  which  may  be  cre- 
ated for  carrying  on  this  work.  It  is  not  the  purpose 
to  consider  here  the  various  types  of  schools.  These 
will  be  reserved  for  later  discussion.  The  point  of 
emphasis  here  is  that  the  Council  should  have  at  its 
command  the  most  effective  agencies  which  now  exist 
or  which  may  be  created  for  carrying  on  the  enterprise. 

The  church  schools  may  constitute  such  agencies  in 
so  far  as  they  are  able  and  willing  to  maintain  and 
carry  out  a  community  program  of  religious  instruc- 
tion. Let  it  be  said  here  that  the  writer  is  not  advo- 
cating that  this  Community  Council  should  have  any 
jurisdiction  over  or  control  of  any  form  of  religious 
instruction  which  any  church  may  desire  to  give  to 
children  concerning  the  doctrines,  sacraments,  forms  of 
worship,  or  polity  of  that  church.  Our  reference  here 
is  entirely  to  instruction  in  the  commonly  accepted 
universal  religious  values  upon  which  agreement  may 
be  secured.  This  probably  means  that  our  discussion 
is  wholly  confined  to  week-day  instruction,  since  it  is 
likely  that  most  churches  will  desire  to  provide  Sunday 

95 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

programs  which  will  be  differentiated  somewhat  from 
those  of  other  churches  and  from  the  community 
program  itself.  This  would  mean  the  extension  of  the 
church-school  program  to  include  week-day  instruction 
conducted  by  the  various  churches  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Community  Council  acting  through  a  body  cre- 
ated by  itself. 

It  may  be  desirable  to  organize  community  schools 
of  week-day  religious  instruction.  These  would  not 
be  church  schools,  although  they  might  be  held  in 
church  buildings.  They  would  be  community  schools 
not  only  with  respect  to  carrying  out  a  community 
program,  but  also  in  the  sense  that  no  denominational 
lines  of  any  sort  would  be  drawn  in  the  enrollment 
of  the  children.  In  this  case  the  children  would  attend 
the  school  most  convenient  without  regard  to  any 
denominational  connections.  So  far  as  the  writer  has 
information,  this  is  the  type  of  school  established  in 
a  majority  of  the  communities  which  are  attempting  to 
carry  out  a  community  program  of  week-day  instruc- 
tion. The  details  of  this  organization  will  be  dis- 
cussed later.  The  type  of  organization  is  mentioned 
here  because  it  is  important  in  the  organization  of  the 
community  that  this  agency  shall  be  taken  into  account 
in  working  out  detailed  plans. 

ORGANIZATION  WITHIN  THE  COUNCIL 

It  is  necessary  to  have  some  responsible  body  within 
the  Council  which  shall  have  direct  charge  of  the  work. 
A  Board  of  Religious  Education,  by  whatever  name  it 
may  be  called,  is  therefore,  essential.  The  Board 
should  be  small,  consisting  of  probably  five  or  seven 
members.  In  a  general  way  its  functions  are  very 
similar  to  those  of  a  public-school  board.     Some  of 

96 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

these  will  be  delegated  in  large  measure  to  its  execu- 
tive officer  and  to  committees  composed  of  its  own 
members  or  of  other  citizens  engaged  in  religious  and 
educational  work  whose  assistance  is  desired.  But  all 
of  these  functions  should  be  regarded  as  belonging  to 
the  Board,  and  it  should  be  held  responsible  for  their 
successful  performance.  It  is  apparent  that  a  unified 
program  in  which  all  of  the  community  can  participate 
cannot  be  secured  except  by  the  creation  and  func- 
tioning of  some  such  board. 

Board  of  Religious  Education. — The  selection  of 
members  of  the  Board  of  Religious  Education  is  a 
matter  of  great  importance.  Upon  this  body  rests  the 
responsibility  for  formulating  and  carrying  out  a  pro- 
gram. Inefficiency  at  this  point  means  disaster  to  the 
entire  enterprise. 

I.  Qualifications  of  Board  members.  A  Board  of 
Religious  Education  should  be  composed  of  men  and 
women  who  are  representatives  of  the  religious,  edu- 
cational, and  other  social  interests  of  the  community. 
They  should  be  vitally  interested  in  promoting  the  reli- 
gious life  of  the  community,  and  it  need  not  be  said 
that  they  should  be  persons  of  unquestioned  character. 
In  all  cases  they  should  be  actively  identified  with  the 
religious,  social,  civic,  and  other  substantial  organiza- 
tions of  the  community. 

It  is  not  their  function  to  represent  these  organiza- 
tions as  such,  and  they  should  not  be  appointed  merely 
for  the  sake  of  giving  such  representation.  But  it  is 
important  that  they  should  be  actively  identified  with 
these  organizations  in  order  that  they  may  bring  to 
bear  upon  the  work  of  the  Board  permanent  inter- 
ests necessary  to  its  success. 

It  will  be  desirable  to  provide  for  representation 

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ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

from  the  various  churches  on  this  Board,  and  there  is 
every  reason  why  this  should  be  done.  The  churches 
are  the  institutions  upon  which  chief  reliance  should  be 
placed  for  initiating  and  carrying  out  a  community 
program  of  religious  education.  It  is,  therefore,  nec- 
essary that  the  churches  should  be  fully  represented. 
No  person,  of  course,  should  be  appointed  to  member- 
ship merely  for  the  sake  of  providing  such  representa- 
tion. The  only  legitimate  reason  for  any  appointment 
is  that  the  particular  person  in  question  is  qualified  to 
serve  the  community  acceptably. 

2.  Functions  of  the  Board.  In  addition  to  the  gen- 
eral function  of  this  Board  stated  above,  some  of  the 
more  specific  ones  are  as  follows : 

(a)  To  have  charge  of  all  of  the  schools  which  are 
carrying  out  a  community  program  of  week-day  reli- 
gious instruction.  It  is  assumed,  of  course,  that  each 
church  will  maintain  its  Sunday  program  rather  inde- 
pendently except  in  so  far  as  it  may  wish  to  coordinate 
its  work  with  that  of  other  Sunday  schools  or  with  that 
of  the  week-day  schools.  This  Board  has  no  jurisdic- 
tion over  or  control  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday  schools, 
but  may  act  in  an  advisory  capacity,  particularly 
through  its  executive  officer  in  so  far  as  individual 
churches  may  desire. 

(b)  The  selection  and  organization  of  the  curricu- 
lum for  use  in  the  week-day  schools.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  important  functions  of  the  Board,  and  the 
task  should  not  be  regarded  lightly.  It  is  rendered 
especially  difficult  by  the  fact  that  subject-matter  for 
week-day  schools  is  not  abundant  and  but  little  of  it 
has  been  put  into  permanent  form.  When  a  public- 
school  board  decides  what  it  desires  to  have  taught  in 
the  schools,  little  remains  but  to  select  the  most  suitable 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  THE   COMMUNITY 

textbooks  available  and  choose  appropriate  supplemen- 
tary material  which  is  available  in  permanent  form. 
This  is  a  very  important  task,  but  not  nearly  so  diffi- 
cult as  it  would  be  if  the  material  were  fragmentary, 
had  to  be  selected  from  numerous  sources  and  organ- 
ized for  teaching  purposes,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
subject-matter  of  religious  instruction.  It  is  entirely 
probable  that  this  task  connected  with  curriculum-mak- 
ing will  be  delegated  in  large  measure  to  its  executive 
officer  and  a  committee  composed  of  its  own  number  or 
others  in  the  community  qualified  for  such  work.  This 
is  a  wise  procedure,  but  in  no  way  relieves  the  Board 
of  its  responsibility  to  the  community  in  providing  a 
curriculum  having  equal  educational  value  with  the 
work  being  done  in  the  best  public  schools. 

(c)  The  selection  of  teachers.  This  constitutes  a 
vital  problem  and  at  present  a  difficult  one  because  of 
the  limited  supply  of  teachers  who  are  adequately  quali- 
fied for  this  work.  Teachers  should  be  selected  with 
extreme  care,  and  if  choice  has  to  be  made  between 
limiting  the  work  of  week-day  instruction  or  accepting 
teachers  who  are  not  qualified,  the  former  course 
should  be  decided  upon.  This  function  like  that  of 
providing  a  suitable  curriculum  would  be  performed 
largely  through  the  executive  officer  of  the  Board. 
But  here,  again,  this  does  not  relieve  the  Board  in  any 
way  of  its  responsibility  to  the  community.  Qualifica- 
tions of  teachers  will  be  discussed  later. 

(d)  Training  and  supervision  of  teachers.  The 
Board  through  its  executive  officer  should  exercise 
careful  supervision  over  the  work  of  its  teachers.  It 
is  essential,  of  course,  that  religious  values,  for  which 
the  subject-matter  is  intended,  should  be  realized  to 
the  fullest  possible  extent  and  this  can  be  accomplished 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

only  by  adequate  supervision.  In  these  community 
schools  careful  supervision  is  also  required  to  prevent 
the  entrance  of  any  sectarian  bias  into  the  instruction 
given.  In  a  matter  so  vitally  personal  as  religion  there 
vv^ill  be  some  teachers  who  will  have  a  tendency,  with- 
out intending  it,  to  give  certain  interpretations  which 
are  sectarian  in  character.  These  teachers  need  careful 
oversight  and  guidance  in  order  to  avoid  any  such 
interpretations.  Supervision  is  also  required  if  viewed 
from  the  pedagogical  side.  The  selection  and  use  of 
methods  and  devices  requires  the  oversight  of  a  com- 
petent person. 

Responsibility  for  the  training  of  teachers  should 
also  rest  with  the  Board  of  Religious  Education.  We 
have  conceived  such  training  to  be  an  integral  part  of 
the  community  program  and  for  a  Board  to  undertake 
to  administer  schools  without  also  controlling  the 
means  of  teacher  training  would  be  an  anomaly. 

(e)  Providing  and  administering  a  budget.  The 
budget  will  be  discussed  later  in  some  detail.  The  mat- 
ter is  of  such  importance  as  to  call  for  more  adequate 
treatment  than  can  be  given  to  it  in  this  connection. 
The  point  of  emphasis  here  is  that  securing  and  admin- 
istering funds  are  necessary  functions  of  the  Board. 
Without  direct  responsibility  for  securing  the  budget 
and  full  power  in  its  distribution,  the  Board  will  be 
greatly  handicapped  in  its  work.  It  may  well  delegate 
matters  of  detail  to  committees  composed  of  its  own 
members  or  composed  in  part  or  wholly  of  persons 
outside  its  own  membership.  The  responsibility  for 
securing  adequate  funds,  however,  and  full  power  for 
distributing  them  should  rest  with  this  body.  The 
experience  of  some  communities  in  which  this  responsi- 
bility has  been  delegated  to  other  agencies  by  the  Coun- 

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ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  CCMMUNiTY 

cil  seems  to  make  it  clear  that  the  position  taken  above 
is  correct.  It  will  be  pointed  out  later  that  one  of  the 
most  difficult  problems,  if  not,  in  fact,  the  most  difficult 
at  present  in  properly  maintaining  community  schools 
is  the  matter  of  financing  the  enterprise.  To  give  this 
important  function  to  any  other  body  than  the  one 
responsible  for  conducting  the  schools  will  prove  a 
mistake. 

(/)  Providing  buildings  and  equipment.  As 
pointed  out  in  a  previous  discussion,  with  rare  excep- 
tions no  buildings  as  yet  have  been  erected  for  use  in 
the  week-day  instruction.  This  means  that,  tempo- 
rarily at  least,  other  buildings  will  have  to  be  secured 
for  carrying  on  the  work,  and  when  secured  will  have 
to  be  properly  equipped.  The  responsibility  for  secur- 
ing suitable  buildings  and  adequate  equipment  belongs 
to  the  Board.  Divided  responsibility  here,  as  in  the 
case  of  providing  and  administering  a  budget,  is  likely 
to  prove  disastrous.  The  Board  will  no  doubt  need 
to  rely  upon  expert  advice  of  its  executive  officer  or 
some  other  qualified  person,  but  the  Board  itself  is 
responsible  to  the  community. 

(g)  Coordination  of  week-day  instruction  with  that 
of  the  Sunday  school.  It  was  pointed  out  in  a  previous 
discussion  that  a  program  of  week-day  instruction 
should  rightly  constitute  a  part  of  a  larger  program 
of  religious  instruction  in  the  community.  If  this  is 
to  be  realized,  it  is  necessary  to  provide  for  proper  co- 
ordination of  the  work  of  week-day  schools  and  that 
of  the  Sunday  schools.  This  does  not  mean  that  a 
Community  Board  should  exercise  control  over  the 
Sunday  schools  in  the  various  churches  or  that  the 
church  officials,  as  such,  should  exercise  any  control 
over  the  work  of  the  week-day  schools. 

lOI 


Organization  OF  religious  education 

It  does  mean,  however,  that  both  the  Board  and  the 
officials  of  the  churches  should  fully  realize  that  the 
success  of  both  types  of  schools  depends  in  large  meas- 
ure upon  mutual  understanding  and  intelligent  coopera- 
tion in  carrying  out  the  larger  program.  A  committee 
should,  therefore,  be  composed  of  representatives  of 
the  Board  and  of  the  Sunday  schools  to  work  out 
coordinated  programs  to  the  best  advantage.  As 
pointed  out  in  another  connection,  the  Board  can  also 
render  valuable  assistance  to  the  Sunday  schools  by 
offering  its  services  in  an  advisory  capacity  in  the 
attempt  to  make  necessary  adjustments  in  the  larger 
interests  of  the  whole  program  of  religious  instruction. 
This  service  will  be  rendered  largely  through  its  execu- 
tive officer  whose  training  and  experience  will  make  his 
assistance  particularly  valuable. 

(h)  The  coordination  of  the  work  of  the  week-day 
schools  and  that  of  the  public  schools.  There  should 
be  no  conflicting  interests  between  these  two  types  of 
schools.  They  have  a  common  purpose,  namely,  that 
of  providing  opportunity  for  the  highest  possible  devel- 
opment of  childhood  and  youth  from  the  standpoint  of 
personal  characteristics  and  that  of  disposition  and 
ability  to  serve  society.  This  purpose  calls  for  such 
coordination  of  effort  that  each  may  make  its  fullest 
possible  contribution. 

The  public  school  is  already  established,  and  no  one 
who  has  its  interests  at  heart  would  wish  to  interfere 
in  any  way  with  the  successful  performance  of  its  task. 
Its  program  is  already  formulated  and  is  fully  occupy- 
ing the  time  of  the  child  during  school  hours.  If 
religious  instruction  is  to  become  a  vital  factor  in  the 
education  of  the  child,  sufficient  time  will  have  to  be 
secured  for  giving  such  instruction.    This  means  that 

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ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

some  time  will  have  to  be  taken  out  of  the  public-school 
program  for  this  purpose  or  that  instruction  will  have 
to  be  given  outside  of  school  hours.  That  the  former 
is  desirable,  and,  indeed,  quite  necessary,  seems  entirely- 
obvious. 

In  any  event,  the  public-school  program  has  to  be 
taken  fully  into  account,  in  setting  up  a  program  of 
week-day  religious  instruction.  Public-school  officials 
are  naturally  hesitant  in  changing  their  programs  or 
in  making  other  adjustments  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  week-day  schools.  Pressure  is  being  brought  to 
bear  upon  them  from  various  sources  to  allow  time  for 
this  or  that  or  the  other  thing  in  the  name  of  educa- 
tion, recreation,  and  what  not.  The  obligation,  there- 
fore, rests  upon  the  Board  of  Religious  Education  to 
present  their  program  to  public-school  officials  in  such 
way  as  to  command  their  attention  and  to  commend 
it  to  their  favorable  consideration. 

This  function  of  the  Board  is  a  matter  of  great 
importance.  The  obligation  rests  heavily  upon  the 
Board  of  Religious  Education  to  secure  the  cooperation 
of  public  school  officials  in  this  community  enter- 
prise. The  experience  of  the  writer  in  several  com- 
munities justifies  the  belief  that  they  are  vitally  inter- 
ested in  the  matter  of  religious  education.  They  have 
manifested  a  most  friendly  spirit  toward  the  work  of 
the  week-day  schools  and  have  shown  every  disposition 
to  make  adjustments  so  far  as  conditions  permit. 

There  may  be  communities  in  which  this  is  not  the 
case,  but  on  the  whole  we  think  that  public-school  offi- 
cials will  be  found  friendly  to  the  movement.  They 
have  their  obligations  to  discharge,  both  to  the  children 
and  to  the  community,  and  should  not  be  expected  to 
violate  these  obligations.    If  public-school  officials  be- 

103 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

lieve  that  religious  instruction  has  equal  or  superior 
value  to  some  of  the  secular  work  being  done  and  that 
it  will  be  properly  organized  and  supervised,  it  is  very- 
likely  that  Httle  opposition  will  be  encountered.  It  is 
the  task  of  the  Board  of  Religious  Education  to  secure 
proper  cooperation,  and  its  success  in  this  particular 
will  be  an  important  factor  in  the  final  success  of  the 
whole  movement. 

Executive  officer  of  the  Board. — In  order  to  per- 
form its  function  successfully  the  Board  should  employ 
a  trained  executive  officer.  The  usual  title  is  "Director 
of  Religious  Education."  In  some  cases  the  officer  is 
called  executive  secretary.  His  qualifications  and  func- 
tions are  discussed  in  this  relation  because  he  should  be 
regarded  as  an  integral  part  of  the  community  organ- 
ization. 

The  need  of  the  services  of  such  an  officer  is  entirely 
obvious.  The  members  of  the  Board  will  not  have  the 
time  to  devote  to  the  details  of  the  work,  and  they 
will  also,  probably,  lack  the  necessary  training  and 
experience  in  educational  matters  required  for  the  suc- 
cessful administration  and  supervision  of  schools. 
Knowledge  concerning  educational  matters,  vital  inter- 
est in  religion,  and  business  experience  are  necessary 
assets.  They  do  not,  however,  take  the  place  of  train- 
ing and  experience  in  the  organization,  administration, 
and  supervision  of  schools.  Public-school  officials 
have  come  to  realize  this  and  now  perform  some  of 
their  most  important  functions  largely  through  a 
trained  executive.  Religious  education,  no  less  than 
public  education,  requires  a  type  of  service  which 
can  be  rendered  successfully  only  by  a  person  whose 
training  and  experience  fits  him  for  it.  In  many  com- 
munities this  officer  would  probably  devote  part  time 

104 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

to  teaching,  and  in  such  cases,  ample  time  should  be 
reserved  for  the  administrative  work. 

I.  The  executive  should  possess  the  requisite  per- 
sonal and  professional  qualifications.  The  position  is 
that  of  an  educational  expert,  as  in  the  case  of  teachers, 
and  a  sudden  increase  of  demand  for  leadership  in  the 
field  of  religious  education  makes  it  difficult  in  many 
communities  to  secure  the  training  and  experience 
desired.  This,  however,  does  not  obviate  the  necessity 
of  competent  leadership,  and  little  success  can  be  hoped 
for  in  its  absence.  The  following  minimum  qualifica- 
tions are  essential: 

( 1 )  No  person  should  be  selected  for  this  responsi- 
ble position  who  does  not  possess  a  vital  religious  life 
and  character.  This  requirement  is  so  self-evident 
that  no  comment  is  necessary. 

(2)  From  the  standpoint  of  academic  and  profes- 
sional preparation  and  experience,  it  is  highly  impor- 
tant that  directors  should  possess  qualifications  equal 
to  those  of  well-trained  public  school  administrators. 
In  addition,  preparation  for  and  experience  in  religious 
education  work  are  extremely  desirable.  Some  experi- 
ence in  public-school  work  is  a  valuable  asset.  The 
educational  problems  involved  in  conducting  week-day 
schools  are  similar  to  those  of  public  schools.  Further 
than  this  in  working  out  necessary  coordinations  with 
public  schools  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  programs 
and  schedules  of  these  schools  serves  a  valuable  pur- 
pose. 

2.  The  director  of  religious  education  should  sus- 
tain to  his  Board  relations  similar  to  those  of  public- 
school  superintendents  to  Boards  of  Education. 

(i)  He  is  the  executive  officer  of  the  Board  and 
carries  out  its  policies. 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

(2)  He  acts  in  the  capacity  of  expert  advisor  to  the 
Board  in  all  matter  pertaining  to  educational  policies. 
It  should  rely  upon  him  in  this  capacity  in  the  follow- 
ing particulars : 

(a)  Recommendation  of  teachers  to  be  selected  by 
the  Board.  The  importance  of  this  function  has  al- 
ready been  discussed  and  it  is  very  clear  that  expert 
judgment  is  required.  He  will  be  able  to  judge  of  per- 
sonal and  professional  qualifications  much  better  than 
those  who  have  not  been  especially  trained  for  this 
work. 

(b)  As  pointed  out  in  another  connection,  he  will 
render  the  expert  service  necessary  in  the  selection  of 
subject-matter  and  the  organization  of  curriculum. 
This  work  should  be  done  in  cooperation  with  a  com- 
mittee of  the  Board  or  a  committee  composed  of  per- 
sons outside  of  its  membership  chosen  because  of  their 
qualifications. 

(c)  The  supervision  of  the  work  of  the  schools 
should  be  delegated  to  him.  This  work  should  have 
his  personal  attention  and  he  should  be  relieved  of 
other  duties — teaching,  clerical,  and  other  details — 
sufficiently  to  allow  ample  time  for  careful,  systematic 
supervision. 

(d)  Closely  connected  with  the  work  of  supervision 
is  that  of  training  teachers  in  service.  This  may  be 
done  through  the  training  school  by  holding  teachers' 
meeting  and  in  other  ways.  In  any  case,  one  of  the 
great  needs  of  religious  education  at  the  present  time 
is  the  better  training  of  teachers  in  service,  and  the 
directors  should  be  responsible  for  this  work. 

(e)  In  the  task  of  coordinating  the  work  of  week- 
day schools  with  that  of  the  Sunday  schools  and  public 
schools,  the  duties  of  the  director  are  important.    He 

io6 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

not  only  sustains  vital  relations  to  these  schools  but 
also  to  the  community  in  securing  and  maintaining  pub- 
lic interest  and  cooperation. 

In  small  communities  where  only  one  or  two  teachers 
are  employed,  the  problem  of  administration  and  super- 
vision is  much  simplified.  If,  however,  these  teachers 
are  not  well  trained  and  lack  teaching  experience,  they 
will  need  assistance  in  carrying  on  their  work.  In  such 
cases  it  might  be  possible  to  secure  some  oversight  by 
the  superintendent  of  public  schools  or  by  an  experi- 
enced teacher.  Religious  instruction  given  by  a  teacher 
lacking  training  or  experience,  or  both,  without  some 
supervision  is  a  precarious  experiment.  Adequate 
supervision  of  the  work  of  the  community  schools  is  a 
matter  of  public  concern  and  should,  therefore,  be 
taken  fully  into  account  in  any  adequate  discussion  of 
community  organization. 

ORGANIZED    FINANCIAL   SUPPORT 

One  of  the  functions  of  the  Board  of  Religious  Edu- 
cation is  to  administer  the  budget.  This  would  be  a 
far  more  simple  matter  than  it  is  if  funds  could  be 
secured  through  taxation  or  from  the  income  of  perma- 
nent funds,  as  is  the  case  of  public  schools.  Neither 
of  these  sources,  however,  is  available,  and  the  task  of 
securing  adequate  financial  support  is  a  difficult  one. 

Sotirces  of  funds. — Two  things  have  to  be  taken 
into  account:  (i)  the  securing  of  adequate  funds  for 
initiating  and  carrying  on  the  work  in  its  initial  stages ; 
and  (2)  to  secure  permanent  sources  of  support.  Both 
of  these  require  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  com- 
munity, and  this  can  be  secured  only  by  a  carefully 
planned  organization  of  its  forces.  Since  the  com- 
munity school  is  a  cooperative  enterprise,  the  com- 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

munity  should  be  regarded  as  a  unit  in  financing  it. 
It  is  desirable,  further,  to  make  an  analysis  of  this  unit 
to  ascertain  methods  of  approach  in  making  the  appeal 
for  financial  support. 

This  will  result  in  a  general  classification  of  sources 
of  funds  into  organizations  and  individuals.  The 
churches  are  represented  in  the  former.  Each  coop- 
erating church  should  be  asked  to  assume  its  rightful 
portion  of  the  entire  budget.  If  a  church  cooperates 
to  the  extent  of  regarding  the  week-day  work  as  a 
part  of  its  own  program  for  providing  adequate  reli- 
gious instruction  for  its  constituency,  the  assumption 
of  the  church  that  it  has  its  share  of  responsibility 
for  the  community  budget  is  entirely  legitimate. 

Other  organizations,  social,  philanthropic,  and  indus- 
trial, make  up  another  source  of  financial  support.  The 
extent  of  support  afforded  by  these  organizations  will 
vary  in  different  communities.  In  some  their  contribu- 
tions will  be  practically  nil,  either  because  of  the  lack 
of  such  organizations  or  because  of  the  failure  of  the 
leadership  in  them  to  cooperate  in  the  community  enter- 
prise. In  other  communities  such  organizations  may 
be  depended  upon  to  lend  valuable  financial  assistance. 
A  worth-while  program,  if  properly  presented,  will 
make  a  successful  appeal  to  their  sense  of  community 
responsibility. 

Individual  contributions  may  well  be  relied  upon  as 
one  of  the  sources  of  financial  support.  It  is  possible 
that  all  individuals  who  are  both  able  and  willing  to 
support  such  a  program  will  not  hold  membership  in 
the  organizations  to  which  appeal  is  made.  Others 
who  do  give  financial  aid  through  some  organization 
will  desire  to  make  personal  contribution  to  the  com- 
munity enterprise.     Some  parents  whose  children  are 

io8 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

receiving  instruction  will  desire  to  do  this  as  shown 
by  the  experience  of  the  communities  now  carrying  on 
the  work.  These  communities  have  also  found  that 
others  who  have  no  children  enrolled  in  the  schools  are 
willing  to  contribute  as  individuals.  These  considera- 
tions should  be  taken  into  account  in  organizing  the 
community  for  financial  support. 

The  problem  is  far  more  difficult  than  merely  that 
of  securing  funds  for  immediate  use.  If  a  community 
program  of  religious  instruction  is  to  be  made  per- 
manent, it  must  have  permanent  source  of  funds. 
Any  plan,  therefore,  of  organization  should  take  this 
fact  fully  into  account.  Precarious  financial  founda- 
tions result  in  continual  worry  and  embarrassment  to 
those  who  are  directly  responsible  for  the  enterprise. 
Added  to  this  is  a  spirit  of  uncertainty  pervading  the 
community  which  interferes  with  permanent  plans. 
What  has  been  said  concerning  the  characteristics  of 
community  organization  applies  in  full  force  in  this 
connection. 

Financial  "drives"  unsatisfactory. — This  means  of 
raising  funds  may  be  advantageous  for  enterprises 
which  are  more  or  less  temporary.  It  is  being  found 
more  and  more  difficult,  however,  to  make  successful 
appeal  for  funds  in  this  way.  The  "drive"  always 
requires  for  its  success  considerable  emotional  back- 
ground. If  this  does  not  already  exist,  to  produce  it 
calls  for  expenditure  of  time  and  energy  which  should 
be  devoted  to  the  main  purpose.  Education  of  any  sort 
is  a  permanent  enterprise  and  cannot  depend  upon  a 
doubtful  recurrence  of  a  proper  emotional  attitude  for 
its  financial  support.  The  problem  in  any  case  is  not 
one  of  a  few  people  in  a  community  assuming  the 
responsibility  of  inducing  the  many  to  give  financial 

109 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

support.  The  securing  of  funds  is  not  a  solicitor's  job. 
It  is,  rather,  a  task  of  financial  organization  which  will 
secure  the  permanent  support  of  the  community. 

Permanent  sources  of  funds. — The  need  of  perma- 
nent sources  of  funds  is  one  reason  why  stable  organ- 
izations already  established  are  more  dependable  than 
individuals  or  groups  of  individuals  organized  specifi- 
cally to  provide  financial  support.  A  finance  committee 
appointed  by  the  Council  to  aid  the  Board  in  securing 
funds  may  be  desirable.  But  it  cannot  in  and  of  itself 
constitute  an  organized  source  of  permanent  financial 
support.  Its  chief  function  should  be  to  secure  finan- 
cial cooperation  of  churches  and  other  stable  organ- 
izations in  the  community.  This  does  not  mean  that 
individuals  should  not  be  solicited  and  that  parents 
should  not  be  given  opportunity  to  contribute  to  the 
education  of  their  children.  But  it  does  mean  that  it 
is  not  the  chief  function  of  this  committee,  or  the  Board 
itself,  to  take  up  an  annual  collection  from  those  who 
contribute  with  more  or  less  reluctance. 

Support  of  cooperating  churches. — Every  cooper- 
ating church  should  make  its  support  permanent  by 
including  the  amount  of  its  contribution  in  its  budget. 
This  is  not  only  important  from  the  financial  standpoint 
but  also  from  that  of  securing  the  interest  and  coopera- 
tion of  the  entire  membership  of  the  church.  If  a 
church  assumes  responsibility  for  a  community  pro- 
gram of  religious  education  to  the  extent  of  providing 
for  continuous  financial  support,  it  will  also  give  sup- 
port in  other  ways  equally  important.  The  schools  will 
be  supported  by  enrollment  of  pupils,  regular  and  punc- 
tual attendance,  sustained  interest  in  the  work,  and  in- 
telligent cooperation  in  the  details  of  carrying  out  the 
program.    Without  the  hearty  support  and  cooperation 

no 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

of  the  churches  in  a  permanent  way,  a  community  pro- 
gram cannot  succeed  permanently.  Permanence  will 
be  secured  if  the  churches  incorporate  adequate  finan- 
cial support  in  their  respective  budgets. 

This  is  also  a  matter  of  distinct  advantage  to  the 
churches  themselves.  It  constitutes  a  recognition  that 
religious  instruction  is  one  of  their  important  functions 
and  is  evidence  that  they  have  seriously  assumed 
responsibility  for  its  performance.  The  teaching  min- 
istry is  thus  assigned  its  rightful  place  along  with  the 
preaching  ministry.  The  influence  of  the  respective 
churches  as  instruments  of  social  service  becomes 
greatly  extended  and  the  confidence  of  the  community 
correspondingly  increased  in  the  sincerity  and  effective- 
ness of  their  ministry. 

Other  sources  of  permanent  support. — Religious 
education  is  primarily  the  function  of  the  home  and 
the  church  in  the  sense  that  it  must  be  provided  directly 
or  indirectly  by  these  institutions.  This  does  not  mean, 
however,  that  the  responsibility  for  financial  support 
rests  solely  upon  these  institutions.  Education  in  gen- 
eral is  a  community  enterprise.  Religious  education  is 
no  exception  to  this  principle.  The  community  as  a 
whole  is  concerned  with  the  question  whether  its  chil- 
dren and  youth  are  receiving  adequate  religious  instruc- 
tion as  an  integral  part  of  their  education.  The  rea- 
son for  this  is  that  whether  they  receive  such  instruc- 
tion determines  to  a  very  large  extent  the  kind  of 
citizens  they  will  become.  Other  organizations  in  the 
community  therefore,  even  if  they  perform  no  specific 
educational  function,  sustain  relations  of  responsibility 
to  its  children  and  youth. 

Industrial,  civic,  and  social  organizations  thus  con- 
stitute permanent  sources  of  support.    Appeal  should 

III 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

be  made  to  their  leadership  on  a  basis  of  community 
interest  and  welfare.  It  is  not  a  question  of  mere  phil- 
anthropic interest  but  of  civic  responsibility.  In  the 
very  nature  of  things  the  burden  must  rest  heavily 
upon  the  churches  because  of  the  function  to  teach 
religion.  But  in  discharging  this  function  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  whole  community  they  are  entitled  to  the 
hearty  support  of  all  of  its  organized  life.  A  worth- 
while educational  program  which  promises  permanency 
and  insures  service  to  the  community  will  make  suc- 
cessful appeal. 


112 


CHAPTER     VI 

COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

It  is  obvious  that  much  more  time  is  required  for 
religious  instruction  than  is  available  through  the  Sun- 
day school.  This  means  that  week-day  instruction 
will  have  to  become  a  part  of  the  whole  program  if 
we  are  to  meet  in  any  adequate  way  the  demands  for 
an  extension  of  the  work.  The  nature  and  extent  of 
the  program,  and  the  conditions  under  which  it  must 
operate  will  determine  the  kind  of  organization  needed. 
Neither  the  program  nor  the  organization  intended  to 
carry  it  out  can  be  successfully  superimposed  upon  a 
community  regardless  of  the  needs  of  that  particular 
community.  The  community  organization  discussed 
in  the  preceding  chapter  will  be  suggestive  in  a  general 
way  of  the  machinery  necessary  for  organizing  and 
maintaining  community  schools  of  week-day  instruc- 
tion. It  seems  clear  that  the  minimum  organization 
should  consist  of  a  Board  of  Religious  Education,  by 
whatever  name  it  may  be  called,  and  its  executive  offi- 
cer. These  are  of  primary  importance  because  of  their 
functions.  What  should  lie  back  of  these  by  way 
of  community  organization  will  depend  upon  local 
conditions. 

EXTENDING  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  EDITCATION 

The  extension  of  education  as  a  means  of  prepar- 
ing for  life  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge.  We 
educate  for  both  work  and  play.  Different  types  of 
education  such  as  civic,  moral,  vocational,  and  avoca- 

113 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

tional  are  recognized  and  provided  for.  The  recent 
emphasis  being  placed  upon  religious  instruction  is  in 
harmony  with  the  whole  movement  to  extend  the  influ- 
ence of  education. 

An  educational  movement. — The  extension  of  a 
program  of  religious  instruction  is  a  religious  move- 
ment of  great  significance.  But  it  is  more  than  this. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  significant  educational  movements 
since  the  educational  revival  of  the  second  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  The  movement  is,  therefore, 
of  great  interest  not  only  to  the  church  but  to  society 
itself.  The  complete  separation  of  the  church  and  the 
state  has  resulted  in  a  separation  of  religion  and  educa- 
tion so  far  as  the  public  schools  are  concerned.  An 
attempt  has  been  under  way  for  some  time  to  get  reli- 
gion back  into  education.  This  cannot  be  done 
best  by  introducing  religious  instruction  into  the 
public  school,  if,  indeed,  it  can  be  done  in  that  way 
at  all.  At  least  it  will  not  be  done  in  that  way  at  pres- 
ent. The  most  the  public  schools  can  do  is  to  recognize 
the  educational  value  of  religious  instruction  provided 
by  some  other  agency  and  give  credit  for  the  work 
done. 

Correlating  work  of  home  and  school. —  Public 
school  officials  have  always  recognized  the  necessity  of 
correlating  the  work  of  the  school  with  that  of 
the  home.  Not  until  recently,  however,  have  they 
been  able  to  work  out  a  plan  whereby  effective  co- 
operation can  be  secured.  A  beginning  at  least  of  suc- 
cessful cooperation  of  work  has  been  made  by  recog- 
nizing the  educational  value  of  certain  types  of  home 
work  and  allowing  credit  therefor.  More  recently  this 
practice  is  being  extended  to  include  community 
agencies  other  than  the  home.    Credit  for  scout  work 

114 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

and  various  other  activities,  including  certain  indus- 
trial types,  is  being  allowed. 

Recognition  of  outside  activities. — The  practice  of 
recognizing  the  educational  value  of  instruction  given 
and  activities  carried  on  outside  the  school  is  now 
well  established.  It  is  pedagogically  sound  provided 
the  instruction  and  activities  are  properly  conceived  and 
adequately  supervised.  It  means,  in  effect,  a  practical 
recognition  of  the  fact  that  there  should  be  a  coordina- 
tion of  the  work  of  all  the  agencies  in  the  community 
which  have  to  do  with  the  education  of  children  and 
youth.  The  church  is,  of  course,  one  of  these  agencies. 
Giving  credit  for  religious  instruction  provided  by  the 
church  is,  therefore,  in  full  accord  with  the  principle. 
Whether  the  work  is  done  in  the  Sunday  school  or  the 
week-day  school,  is  not  important  in  this  connection. 
Neither  is  it  important  whether  the  week-day  schools 
be  maintained  separately  by  the  several  churches  or  as 
community  schools  through  cooperative  effort.  The 
important  thing  is  that  the  instruction  offered  shall  be 
worthy  of  credit  on  the  basis  of  its  educational  value. 
The  principle  as  it  is  actually  being  worked  out  in 
practice  will  receive  attention  in  the  next  section. 

CREDIT    FOR   BIBLE   STUDY 

A  movement  to  encourage  Bible  study  has  been  in 
progress  for  a  number  of  years.^  It  had  its  rise  in 
the  conviction  on  the  part  of  public-school  officials  and 
other  citizens  that,  since  religious  instruction  has  been 
entirely  eliminated  from  our  public  school  program, 
something  should  be  done  to  give  proper  recognition  to 
the  educational  value  of  a  study  of  the  Bible.  Viewing 
this  matter  from  the  standpoint  of  the  public  schools, 

iWood,  C.  A.,  School  and  College  Credit  for  Outside  Bible  Study,  chapters  i,  ii. 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

as  has  already  been  pointed  out,  it  is  only  part  of  a 
larger  movement  to  give  school  credit  for  work  done 
outside  of  the  school.  For  example,  in  Poughkeepsie, 
New  York,  credit  for  a  long  list  of  home  duties  is 
allowed  in  the  elementary  schools.  Topeka  and  Sa- 
lina,  Kansas,  each  allow  a  total  of  three  credits  toward 
graduation  from  their  high  schools  for  work  done  out- 
side. In  Wyoming,  credit  is  given  for  industrial  work 
and  manual  training  done  outside  of  school  hours.  At 
Westbrook,  Maine,  students  in  the  high  school  may 
spend  one  half  day  each  week  doing  work  in  the  local 
mills  for  which  they  receive  credit.  Johnson  City, 
Kansas;  Webb  City,  Missouri;  Rockford,  Illinois; 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan;  and  Birmingham,  Alabama, 
are  a  few  of  the  many  towns  and  cities  throughout  the 
country  which  allow  credit  for  instruction  in  music 
received  outside  the  school.  These  few  examples  are 
cited  out  of  a  very  large  number  which  might  be  given 
to  show  that  there  is  a  widespread  practice  which  has 
been  growing  rapidly  in  recent  years  to  allow  school 
credit  for  various  types  of  work  done  outside.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  credit  for  Bible  study  is  a  part  of  this 
larger  movement. 

Points  of  similarity  in  plans. — Various  plans  are 
in  vogue  for  giving  credit  to  high  school  students  for 
Bible  study.  These  plans  differ  somewhat  in  detail, 
but  are  practically  identical  in  the  following  particu- 
lars: 

I.  The  school  authorities  recognize  the  cultural 
value  of  Bible  study.  It  is  rather  interesting  to  note 
that  emphasis  is  placed  on  the  literary  and  historical 
values  of  the  Bible.  No  attempt  is  made  to  secure  reli- 
gious interpretations  of  any  sort.  The  various  plans 
for  testing  results  show  clearly  that  this  is  the  case. 

ii6 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

2.  In  cooperation  with  the  officials  of  the  Sunday- 
schools  or  other  religious  organizations,  syllabi  are  pre- 
pared which  supply  a  list  of  topics  in  general  outUne. 
In  many  cases,  however,  such  syllabi  are  not  prepared, 
and  credit  is  given  for  completion  of  any  approved 
course  of  Bible  study  such  as  the  Uniform  or  Graded 
Series  of  International  Lessons.  In  Lewiston,  Idaho, 
the  Senior  Graded  Series  is  prescribed  for  junior  high- 
school  students  and  the  Constructive  Series,  or  its 
equivalent,  for  the  students  in  the  senior  high  school. 
At  Tacoma,  Washington,  a  special  course  has  been 
prepared  by  the  local  ministerial  alliance. 

3.  The  interpretation  of  the  Bible  is  left  to  the 
church,  or  in  case  the  work  is  done  by  the  individual 
without  formal  instruction  the  interpretation  is  left  to 
him. 

4.  The  students  are  required  by  formal  examination, 
or,  in  some  other  way,  to  satisfy  the  school  authorities 
that  the  work  has  been  satisfactorily  done.  There  is 
obviously  no  uniformity  in  plan  of  administering 
credit. 

5.  The  credit  toward  graduation  is  allowed  ranging 
in  amount  from  one  fifth  to  one  unit.  In  some  cases 
credit  is  allowed  only  for  work  done  in  the  last  two 
years  of  high  school.  In  others  no  specification  is 
made  concerning  the  matter. 

Several  plans  in  use  for  giving  credit  for  Bible 
study. — No  attempt  will  be  made  here  to  discuss  the 
matter  of  credit  in  detail.  The  North  Dakota  plan  was 
inaugurated  at  a  meeting  of  the  State  Educational 
Association  in  November,  191 1.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed at  this  meeting  to  perfect  a  plan  for  giving 
credit  in  the  high  schools  of  the  State  for  Bible  study 
and  to  prepare  a  syllabus.    The  report  of  this  commit- 

"7 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

tee  was  approved  the  following  year  both  by  the  An- 
nual Conference  of  High  School  Principals  and  City 
Superintendents,  and  by  the  State  High  School  Board 
of  North  Dakota.^ 

Fundamental  principles. — Two  fundamental  prin- 
ciples were  laid  down  in  this  report  which  governed  in 
the  preparation  of  the  syllabus. 

1.  The  justification  for  credit  for  Bible  study  so 
far  as  the  schools  are  concerned  is  found  in  the  great 
value  of  a  knowledge  of  its  history  and  literature  as 
broadly  cultural  subjects. 

2.  Sectarian  interpretation,  or  anything  suggesting 
it  must  be  avoided.  Accordingly,  no  textbook  except 
the  Bible  itself  shall  be  prescribed. 

The  syllabus,  briefly  stated,  is  as  follows: 
(i)   Studies  in  Old  Testament  geography. 

(2)  The  great  Old  Testament  narratives. 

(3)  A  brief  outline  of  Hebrew  history.  In  this 
connection  a  Bible  dictionary  of  Hebrew  history  may 
be  consulted  for  dates. 

(4)  The  list  of  the  Old  Testament  books  for  memo- 
rizing. 

( 5  )  Memory  passages  from  which  the  student  is  to 
select  five  to  be  learned. 

(6)  Studies  in  the  life  of  Christ.  The  reading  re- 
quired includes  the  entire  book  of  Luke,  and  certain 
passages  from  the  other  Gospels. 

(7)  Studies  in  the  history  of  the  early  church.  This 
requires  the  reading  of  the  book  of  Acts,  including 
maps,  and  the  missionary  journeys  of  Paul. 

(8)  The  list  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  for 
memorizing. 

^Wood.  C.  A..  School  and  CoUege  Credit  for  Outside  Bible  Study,  chapter  v. 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

(9)  Selected  memory  passages  from  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

PLAN  OF  ADMINISTRATION^ 

The  work  is  pursued  entirely  outside  of  school  hours 
and  is  carried  on  privately  or  in  special  outside  classes, 
usually  in  connection  with  Sunday  schools  or  young 
people's  societies.  The  teachers  or  the  students  them- 
selves, if  they  carry  on  the  work  privately,  are  at  lib- 
erty, of  course,  to  include  in  their  study  much  more 
than  the  syllabus  required,  but  the  examinations  do 
not  take  into  account  anything  except  the  work  as 
outlined  in  the  syllabus.  The  State  High  School  Board 
conducts  these  examinations  at  the  same  time  as  the 
regular  State  high  school  examinations.  A  total  of 
one-half  unit  credit  is  allowed. 

The  Colorado  plan. — The  Colorado  plan  had  its 
beginning  in  the  State  Teachers'  College  in  19 10.  It 
had  its  origin  in  what  is  known  as  the  Greeley  plan 
which  is  simply  a  system  of  cooperation  between  the 
churches  of  Greeley  and  Teachers'  College.  In  191 2  the 
Colorado  Sunday  School  Association  brought  this  plan 
to  the  attention  of  the  Educational  Council  of  the  State 
Teachers'  Association.  The  Council  passed  a  resolu- 
tion calling  for  the  appointment  of  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  six  members,  three  from  the  State  Teachers' 
Association  and  three  from  the  High  School  Depart- 
ment of  the  Sunday  School  Association,  to  work  out  a 
course  of  study.  In  November,  19 13,  this  committee 
made  its  report.  The  plan  provides  for  a  four  years' 
course  of  Bible  study  for  high-school  students.  The 
instruction  is  to  be  given  by  the  respective  churches 
under  the  direction  of  qualified  teachers.    It  is  contem- 

iWood,  C.  A..  Schod  and  College  Credit  for  Outside  Bible  Study,  chapter  v. 

119 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

plated  that  this  instruction  shall  be  given  in  the  Sunday 
schools.  Forty  recitations  of  forty-five  minutes  each 
are  required  each  year,  and  the  work  is  to  extend  over 
a  period  of  four  years.  A  total  of  one  credit  is  allowed 
and  fractional  credits  may  be  allowed  on  the  same 
basis.  The  character  of  the  examination  and  the  plan 
for  giving  it,  and  the  passing  grades  are  all  determined 
by  the  officials  of  the  local  high  school. 

Bible  study  in  high  schools. — A  number  of  other 
plans  adopted  for  entire  States,  and  very  similar  to 
these  two,  are  in  vogue.  State  Teachers'  Associations 
and  State  Sunday  School  Associations  in  many  of  the 
States,  have  worked  out  cooperative  plans  whereby 
credit  may  be  allowed  under  certain  conditions  very 
similar  to  the  two  States  referred  to  above  for  Bible 
study  carried  on  by  high-school  students.  In  some  of 
these.  State  Boards  of  Education  have  also  cooperated 
in  devising  and  putting  the  plans  into  execution. 

In  a  large  number  of  towns  and  cities,  credit  is  al- 
lowed by  the  high  schools  for  Bible  study.  In  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  a  plan  was  inaugurated  in  191 5  in  each 
of  the  three  high  schools  of  the  city.  Students  may 
elect  Bible  study  for  one  hour  a  week.  Instruction  is 
given  in  the  school  buildings  by  high-school  teachers, 
assigned  for  the  purpose,  who  serve  without  compensa- 
tion. The  classes  recite  after  school  hours  and  the 
period  of  instruction  is  fifty  minutes. 

In  Topeka,  Kansas,  under  a  general  ruling  made  by 
the  Board  of  Education  in  19 14,  credit  toward  gradu- 
ation from  the  high  school  to  the  amount  of  three 
units  may  be  allowed  for  creditable  work  done  outside 
the  school.  It  is  provided,  however,  that  not  more 
than  two  units  shall  be  granted  in  any  one  sub- 
ject.     Since   that   date   a   practical   plan   has    been 

120 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

worked  out  whereby  a  student  may  receive  two 
units  for  work  done  in  Bible  study  under  certain 
stated  conditions.^  The  work  may  be  taken  either  in 
the  Topeka  Training  School  for  Sunday  School  Work- 
ers, with  an  approved  Sunday-school  teacher,  or,  under 
the  direction  of  one  of  the  Christian  Associations. 
This  requirement,  however,  is  not  absolute,  credit 
being  allowed  for  work  done  under  other  direction; 
but  it  must  be  approved  by  the  school  authorities.  Ex- 
aminations are  conducted,  when  work  is  completed,  by 
"a  competent  disinterested  student  of  the  Bible."  Sev- 
eral schools  in  Michigan  have  adopted  the  North 
Dakota  plan,  among  which  is  Grand  Rapids.  Pawnee, 
Nebraska,  high  school  gives  credit  for  work  done  in 
the  International  Sunday  School  lessons  with  supple- 
mentary lessons  from  the  Bible. 

These  examples  are  sufficient  to  indicate  the  wide- 
spread practice  of  giving  high-school  credit  for  Bible 
study  done  outside  of  school.  It  will  be  observed  that 
the  instruction  is  confined  entirely  to  the  Bible,  and 
there  is  little  uniformity  even  in  the  general  outlines  of 
the  work.  The  emphasis,  so  far  as  the  public  schools 
is  concerned,  is  entirely  upon  the  literary  and  historical 
values.  Very  little  supervision  of  the  work  is  at- 
tempted on  the  part  of  the  public  schools,  and  the  ex- 
aminations are  almost  the  sole  test  of  the  efficiency  of 
the  work  done. 

This  movement  to  secure  recognition  of  the  educa- 
tive value  of  the  Bible  should  not  be  underestimated. 
It  is  a  very  significant  step  in  the  direction  of  calling 
attention  to  the  neglect  of  the  Bible  in  our  present  pro- 
gram of  education.  Its  limitations,  however,  are  en- 
tirely obvious.     An  adequate   program   of   religious 

iWood,  C.  A.,  School  and  College  Credit  for  Outside  BibU  Study,  pp.  103-108. 

121 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

instruction  cannot  be  based  solely  upon  the  literary  and 
historical  values  of  the  Bible,  nor  even  upon  the  Bible 
itself.  The  plan  is  further  limited  because  confined  to 
high-school  students.  No  plan  of  religious  instruc- 
tion is  adequate  which  does  not  parallel  at  every  point 
the  work  of  the  public  schools.  It  is  also  clear  that 
more  adequa1:e  organization,  administration  and  super- 
vision of  work  than  contemplated  by  any  of  the  plans 
now  in  vogue  is  absolutely  necessary. 

ORGANIZATION   OF    WEEK-DAY   SCHOOLS^ 

The  organization  of  week-day  schools  of  religious 
instruction  is  an  absolute  necessity.  Whether  these 
shall  be  organized  and  maintained  as  a  community  en- 
terprise or  by  the  individual  churches  is  a  question 
which  will  have  to  be  answered  by  each  community 
for  itself.  The  church  school  is  discussed  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapter.  The  present  discussion  deals  entirely 
with  the  community  school.^ 

It  should  need  no  argument  to  establish  the  fact  that 
successful  week-day  instruction  is  not  possible  without 
properly  organized  schools  conducted  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  other  well-organized  educational  institutions. 
There  is  nothing  connected  with  the  aims,  means,  or 
methods  of  religious  instruction  which  warrants  the 
expectation  that  it  will  be  successful  under  less  favor- 
able conditions  than  instruction  of  any  other  kind. 
Institutions  or  organizations  which  at  best  are  only 
quasi-educational  in  character  cannot  carry  this  work 
on  successfully.    Week-day  instruction  cannot  be  made 

iPor  detaUed  discussion  compare  Cope,  H.  F.,  The  Week-Day  Church  School; 
and  Squires,  W.  A.,  The  Week-Day  Church  School. 

»Stout,  John  E.,  Week-  Day  Religious  Instruction  Under  Community  Auspices. 
Occasional  Papers,  No.  3,  Department  of  Religious  Education,  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity. 

122 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

merely  an  additional  function  through  expansion  of  a 
social  program.  It  must  be  carried  on  in  a  school  or- 
ganized for  the  sole  purpose  of  educating  children  and 
youth  and  conducted  solely  with  this  end  in  view. 

Factors  involved  in  organization. —  Several  factors 
determine  the  kind  of  organization.  The  details  in  the 
organization  of  community  schools  will  have  to  be 
determined  by  local  conditions.  Several  communities 
have  already  organized  such  schools,  and  these  will 
furnish  valuable  suggestions.  But  each  community 
must  be  governed  in  large  measure  by  the  conditions 
with  which  it  has  to  deal.  It  should,  therefore,  secure 
the  services  of  a  competent  person  to  make  a  careful 
survey  to  obtain  full  and  accurate  information  upon 
which  to  proceed.  This  information  when  collected 
should  be  interpreted  with  respect  to  the  following 
points : 

The  number  of  children  who  will  probably  enroll 
in  the  schools.  These  should  be  classified  as  to  age  and 
present  enrollment  in  the  public  schools.  This  will 
give  a  basis  for  determining  the  number  of  grades  to 
be  maintained,  and  the  number  and  size  of  the  classes 
to  be  maintained.  The  number  of  teachers  to  be  em- 
ployed, the  number  of  classrooms  and  the  amount  and 
character  of  equipment  required  will  have  to  be  de- 
termined by  the  needs. 

Available  resources. — The  resources  which  are 
available  or  which  can  be  made  available  to  organize 
and  maintain  the  schools  must  be  taken  into  account. 
Included  among  the  resources,  actual  and  potential,  is 
the  attitude  of  the  churches  toward  the  project  in  gen- 
eral and  their  ability  and  willingness  to  cooperate  in 
the  enterprise.  No  program  of  any  considerable 
extent  can  be  carried  out  without  their  hearty  support 

123 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

and  cooperation.  The  interest  of  the  community  ex- 
pressed through  other  institutions  and  organizations 
should  be  carefully  ascertained.  The  attitude  of  public 
school  officials  is  a  matter  of  great  importance. 

The  sources  of  funds  and  the  amount  that  can  be 
depended  upon  permanently  should  be  determined  as 
definitely  as  possible.  Buildings  which  are  available  or 
can  be  made  available  is  another  important  question. 
Finally  the  available  persons  in  the  community  who  are 
both  competent  and  willing  to  assist  in  organizing  and 
maintaining  the  schools  should  be  ascertained.  Outside 
assistance  will  in  most  cases  have  to  be  relied  upon 
more  or  less,  but  the  community  itself  should  be  thor- 
oughly canvassed.  Much  of  this  information  will  no 
doubt  have  been  secured  in  perfecting  the  community 
organization  already  discussed.  It  will  need  to  be 
interpreted,  however,  with  special  reference  to  organ- 
izing and  maintaining  week-day  schools. 

Time  schedules. — Time  schedules  are  determined 
by  several  factors.  As  pointed  out  in  another  connec- 
tion, community  schools  usually  provide  opportunity 
for  each  child  to  receive  two  hours  of  instruction  per 
week.  This  does  not  mean,  of  course,  that  the  schools 
are  in  operation  only  two  hours  a  week.  The  schedules 
of  classes  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  distribute  the 
instruction  over  four  or  five  days  a  week  and  during 
as  many  hours  per  day  as  possible.  This  is  necessary 
in  order  to  provide  instruction  for  the  largest  possible 
number  of  pupils  with  the  employment  of  a  minimum 
number  of  teachers.  Unless  part-time  teachers  can  be 
secured,  which  is  done  in  some  communities,  a  large 
part  of  the  school  day  must  be  available  for  work. 

It  should  be  said  in  this  connection  that  the  matter 
of  the  amount  of  time  per  week  and  the  distribution  of 

124 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

that  time  are  still  open  questions.  In  most  cases  where 
week-day  instruction  is  being  carried  on,  two  sixty- 
minute  periods  are  being  used  for  each  child.  It  is 
very  likely  that  this  was  first  inaugurated  because  of 
administrative  convenience  and  not  because  of  any 
pedagogical  considerations.  It  is  not  at  all  improbable 
that  this  arrangement  is  only  a  temporary  expedient, 
and  that  some  other  time  schedule  will  be  found  by 
experience  to  be  more  desirable.  One  thing  favorable 
to  the  present  plan  is  that  in  communities  where  it  is 
being  used  it  is  found  acceptable  and  satisfactory  work 
is  being  done. 

In  making  out  a  schedule  for  week-day  religious  in- 
struction the  first  thing  that  needs  to  be  taken  into 
account  is  the  program  of  the  public  schools.  With 
some  variations,  the  daily  public-school  program  is 
from  9  A.  M.  to  3  :30  or  4  p.  m.  for  five  days  per  week. 
Unless  some  adjustment  is  made,  the  only  time  avail- 
able for  religious  instruction  is  before  nine  or  after 
three-thirty  or  four  o'clock.  This  means  that  the  child 
must  secure  his  instruction  outside  of  and  in  addition 
to  his  full  public-school  program.  Such  is  the  usual 
practice  at  the  present  t;me  in  the  few  communities 
carrying  on  week-day  instruction.  That  is  to  say,  the 
children  receiving  religious  instruction  are  doing  the 
work  in  addition  to  their  regular  public-school  pro- 
gram, using  time  wholly  outside  of  public-school  hours. 
There  are  some  exceptions  to  this  general  rule  which 
will  be  noted  later. 

Religious  instruction  in  addition  to  public  school 
program. —  Requiring  children  to  receive  religious 
instruction  as  work  wholly  additional  to  their  public- 
school  program  is  not  desirable  for  two  reasons : 

I.  Under  these  conditions  it  is  not  put  on  a  par  from 
125 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

the  standpoint  of  its  importance,  with  other  school 
work.  Parents  and  pupils  are  very  apt  to  regard  it  as 
an  appendage  to,  rather  than  an  integral  part  of  edu- 
cation. It  seems  clear  that  it  will  be  difficult  to  build 
up  a  vital  and  permanent  program  on  such  a  basis. 
One  of  the  important  things  involved  in  education  of 
any  kind  is  the  attitude  which  parents  and  pupils  have 
toward  the  work. 

2.  If  week-day  instruction  is  to  become  an  important 
factor  in  the  education  of  children,  the  extent  and  char- 
acter of  the  program  will  become  burdensome  if  it  is 
made  additional  to  the  work  which  they  are  already 
doing  in  the  public  schools.  This  will  finally  result  in 
overloading  the  child  with  work  or  in  the  neglect  of 
either  his  public-school  work  or  that  of  religious  in- 
struction. In  all  probability  it  will  be  the  latter  that 
will  be  neglected,  since,  in  the  very  nature  of  things, 
less  pressure  can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  him  concern- 
ing it.  The  public-school  work  must  be  done,  and 
failure  to  do  it  means  failure  in  promotion.  No  such 
results  will  follow  the  failure  of  the  pupil  to  do  the 
work  in  religious  education. 

In  view  of  the  above  considerations,  it  is  extremely 
important  that  some  adjustment  be  made  with  public- 
school  officials  which  will  secure  time  out  of  their  regu- 
lar school  program  which  may  be  devoted  to  religious 
instruction.  In  harmony  with  the  practice  now  pre- 
vailing in  a  majority  of  week-day  schools,  the  amount 
of  time  required  is  two  hours  per  week.  A  notable 
example  of  such  an  arrangement  is  found  at  Gary, 
Indiana,  and  further  reference  to  this  experiment  will 
be  made  later. 

Definite  formulation  of  week-day  program. — 
A  program  should  be  carefully  formulated  in  accord- 

126 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

ance  with  its  purpose.  The  purpose  of  community 
week-day  instruction  as  distinguished  from  that  of  the 
church  school  may  be  stated  broadly  as  follows:  To 
provide  educational  opportunity  of  such  character  that 
the  children  of  all  denominations  or  of  none  may  re- 
ceive religious  instruction  that  possesses  universal  reli- 
gious values.  If  this  purpose  is  realized,  it  is  obvious 
that  the  program  will  have  to  meet  the  following  con- 
ditions : 

1.  It  must  provide  vital  religious  instruction  based 
upon  the  recognized  universal  values  in  the  Christian 
religion.  This  is  a  matter  of  great  importance,  not 
only  to  society  in  general,  but  to  the  church  itself.  The 
great  universal  values  of  the  Christian  religion  should 
be  a  common  possession  of  all  the  children  and  youth 
of  America.  The  program  of  the  week-day  school 
must,  therefore,  be  of  such  character  as  to  secure  the 
interest  of  all  whom  we  desire  to  reach.  The  com- 
munity school  is  particularly  well  calculated  to  do  this, 
provided  its  program  is  of  the  right  sort. 

2.  Instruction  in  these  community  schools  must  be 
wholly  nonsectarian  in  character.  It  is  obvious  that 
sectarian  instruction  will  defeat  the  purposes  of  the 
school.  To  provide  the  universal  values  in  religion 
upon  which  all  are  agreed  and  to  appeal  on  this  basis 
to  all  classes  of  the  community  regardless  of  sectarian 
affiliations,  require  that  all  sectarian  interpretations  be 
carefully  avoided.  It  is  the  conviction  of  the  writer 
that  such  matters  as  doctrine,  sacraments,  modes  of 
worship,  and  church  history  and  polity  have  a  rightful 
place  in  religious  instruction.  They  have  no  place, 
however,  in  a  community  school.  In  selecting  material, 
therefore,  and  in  its  presentation  all  sectarian  bias 
should  be  eliminated  with  extreme  care.    Those  who  do 

127 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

not  believe  that  religious  instruction  can  be  given 
unless  it  is  cast  in  a  denominational  or  sectarian 
mold  will  not  agree  with  this  contention.  Those  of  us, 
on  the  other  hand,  who  believe  that  there  are  common 
values  in  the  Christian  religion  which  should  become 
the  possession  of  all  children  and  youth  will  agree  that 
the  community  school  offers  an  opportunity  for  secur- 
ing these  values. 

3.  Instruction  must  possess  educational  value  equal 
to  that  of  any  work  being  done  by  the  public  school. 
This  means  that  material  must  be  selected  with  regard 
to  the  needs,  interest,  and  capacities  of  children  in  their 
various  stages  of  development.  It  also  means  that  the 
social  value  of  instruction  must  be  taken  fully  into 
account.  If  we  expect  that  religion  shall  function  in  a 
larger  way  in  the  lives  of  men  and  women,  the  educa- 
tion of  children  in  matters  of  religion  must  be  governed 
by  the  situations  in  which  life  expresses  itself. 

ORGANIZATION   OF    CURRICULA 

The  principles  governing  curricula  making  and  some 
of  the  more  important  details  connected  therewith  have 
already  received  attention.  The  only  task  remaining 
in  this  connection  is  to  make  application  to  week-day 
instruction.  This  has  been  partially  done  in  the  pre- 
ceding section.  To  provide  instruction  vitally  reli- 
gious, wholly  nonsectarian  in  character,  and  equal  in 
educational  value  to  that  of  the  public  schools  indicates 
the  nature  of  the  problem. 

Types  of  subject-matter. — These  requirements  con- 
stitute the  criteria  for  selecting  material  from  the  types 
of  subject-matter  already  suggested.  Both  biblical 
and  extra-biblical  should  be  used.  All  such  as  contain 
any  suggestion  of  sectarian  interpretation  will  have 

128 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

to  be  rejected.  It  also  seems  clear  that  but  little  of  the 
organized  subject-matter  now  in  use  in  Sunday  schools, 
even  if  free  from  denominational  bias,  can  be  used 
for  week-day  instruction.  A  discussion  of  the  various 
"lessons''  and  "series"  will  be  found  in  the  chapter 
immediately  following.  If  the  conclusions  reached  are 
correct,  these,  taken  as  series,  will  have  to  be  rejected. 
It  should  be  said,  however,  that  much  valuable  mate- 
rial is  found  in  some  of  the  series  of  texts,  and  this 
might  well  be  selected  for  use.  The  lessons,  in  some 
cases,  are  too  long  and  require  shortening.  In  some 
cases,  too,  sectarian  allusions,  even  if  they  do  not 
amount  to  sectarian  interpretations,  require  the  rejec- 
tion of  these  lessons  or  elimination  of  objectionable 
matter. 

The  subject-matter  used  in  some  of  the  early  schools 
was  in  the  form  of  printed  leaflets.  In  others  the 
material  used  was  selected  from  various  sources  and 
put  into  the  hands  of  the  pupils  in  mimeograph  form. 
The  material,  whether  printed  or  mimeographed,  was 
bound  by  the  use  of  cover  papers.  Some  such  device 
was  necessary  in  the  absence  of  suitable  texts,  and  is 
still  in  use  wholly  or  in  part  in  a  number  of  week-day 
schools.  This  practice  is,  no  doubt,  only  temporary, 
awaiting  the  completion  of  suitable  textbooks. 

The  need  of  textbooks. — The  making  of  curricula 
for  use  in  week-day  schools  is  only  in  the  beginning. 
The  pioneer  efforts  referred  to  above  are  to  be  com- 
mended and  will  furnish  valuable  experience  to  others 
who  take  up  the  task.  Textbooks  are  needed  which 
are  designed  especially  for  week-day  schools.  Some 
texts  are  already  in  process  of  making  and  will  be  avail- 
able soon.  They  will  then  have  to  be  tested  by  actual 
experience  in  their  use  before  intelligent  judgment  can 

129 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

be  passed  upon  them.  It  will  no  doubt  be  considerable 
time  before  enough  suitable  texts  will  be  produced  to 
meet  the  needs  of  all  the  various  grades  in  the  schools. 
In  the  meantime  selections  of  subject-matter  will  have 
to  be  made  from  the  various  available  sources  and  put 
into  form  for  temporary  use. 

GRADATION  OF  PUPILS 

The  general  topic  is  discussed  somewhat  at  length  in 
a  subsequent  chapter.  Nothing  more  will  be  attempted 
here  than  to  indicate  the  general  practice  prevailing  in 
the  few  communities  where  week-day  schools  are 
already  established. 

The  general  practice  is  to  group  the  pupils  as  fol- 
lows: Grades  i  and  2  of  the  public  schools  constitute 
Group  I;  Grades  3  and  4,  Group  II;  Grades  5  and  6, 
Group  III;  Grades  7  and  8,  Group  IV.  If  instruc- 
tion is  provided  for  high-school  pupils,  Grades  9  and 
10  constitute  Group  V  and  Grades  11  and  12,  Group 
VI.  This  means  that  there  are  four  groups  or  grades 
instead  of  eight  for  the  elementary  school  and  two 
groups  or  grades  instead  of  four  for  the  high  school. 
This  plan  of  grading  in  the  week-day  school  is  due  to 
practical  rather  than  to  pedagogical  considerations.  It 
was  first  inaugurated  no  doubt  because  of  the  fact  that 
but  a  small  number  of  the  public-school  pupils  of  any 
one  grade  were  enrolled  in  the  week-day  schools.  This 
made  it  necessary  to  put  two  grades  together  in  order 
to  secure  a  sufficient  number  to  make  a  group  suffi- 
ciently large  for  successful  class  work.  This  plan  is 
more  economical  in  that  it  requires  less  room  space  and 
fewer  teachers.  It  is  also  probable  that  the  depart- 
mental plan  still  prevailing  in  many  Sunday  schools 
had  some  influence  in  the  matter. 

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COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

Practical  considerations  have  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count, but  the  plan  should  not  be  considered  for  per- 
manent use.  It  is  at  best  but  a  temporary  makeshift 
and  should  not  be  used  where  the  public-school  plan  of 
grading  is  possible. 

BUILDINGS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

With  rare  exceptions,  one  of  the  great  handicaps 
under  which  week-day  instruction  is  being  carried  on 
is  the  lack  of  suitable  buildings  and  adequate  equip- 
ment. This,  of  course,  is  to  be  expected  in  the  early 
days  of  the  movement.  Buildings  other  than  public 
schools  are  not  as  a  rule  designed  for  educational  pur- 
poses. Churches  ordinarily  are  ill  suited  for  this  work. 
The  average  church  has  never  considered  its  Sunday 
school  with  sufficient  seriousness  to  provide  for  it 
either  in  building  the  church  or  in  supplying  equip- 
ment. 

The  writer  has  recently  inspected  a  number  of 
church  buildings  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
whether  they  were  suitable  for  carrying  on  week-day 
instruction.  In  every  instance  he  was  compelled  to 
reach  the  conclusion  that  they  were  not  suitable  unless 
important  modifications  were  made.  In  most  cases  the 
disposition  on  the  part  of  church  officials  to  remodel 
their  buildings  and  provide  equipment  was  most  encour- 
aging. Unfortunately,  in  other  cases,  the  necessity  for 
remodeling  was  not  recognized  sufficiently  to  secure 
any  relief. 

Suitable  buildings. — If  week-day  schools  are  to 
become  an  effective  means  of  religious  instruction, 
suitable  buildings  will  have  to  be  provided.  Whether 
this  can  be  accomplished  best  by  the  use  of  public- 
school  buildings,  or  by  remodeling  church  buildings,  or 

131 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

by  erecting  separate  edifices  will  have  to  be  determined 
by  local  conditions.  In  any  event,  the  fact  might  just 
as  well  be  faced  that  buildings  will  have  to  be  provided 
which  in  every  respect  measure  up  to  the  most  modern 
public-school  buildings.  Temporarily,  no  doubt,  build- 
ings will  have  to  be  used  which  are  not  suitable,  but  this 
should  not  be  accepted  as  a  permanent  policy.  Unfav- 
orable housing  conditions  constitute  a  serious  handicap 
to  successful  work. 

One  of  the  requirements  of  any  successful  endeavor 
in  education  is  that  of  providing  favorable  physical 
conditions.  Suitable  seats  are  required,  specifically 
designed  for  and  properly  adjusted  to  the  various  ages ; 
adequate  light,  properly  distributed,  is  essential;  good 
ventilation  is  imperative;  and,  in  general,  comfortable 
and  attractive  surroundings  are  required.  Even  in 
the  name  of  religion  we  have  no  right  to  impair  eye- 
sight and  jeopardize  the  health  of  children.  These 
things  cannot  all  be  provided  at  once,  and  in  the  mean- 
time, we  shall  have  to  accept  what  is  available.  But 
any  community  undertaking  week-day  instruction 
should  make  plans  immediately  looking  toward  pro- 
viding adequate  housing  facilities  for  its  schools. 

Use  of  public-school  buildings. — The  use  of  pub- 
lic-school buildings  is  not  feasible  in  most  communities, 
particularly  if  religious  instruction  is  given  during  the 
regular  school  day.  There  are  certain  legal  limitations 
placed  upon  the  use  of  public-school  buildings  for  this 
purpose,  and  if  these  hmitations  were  removed,  we 
still  have  the  matter  of  public  sentiment  which  must 
be  taken  into  account.  Laying  aside  all  of  these  lim- 
itations, however,  a  practical  difficulty  still  remains. 
In  most  communities,  the  buildings  are  now  taxed  to 
their  full  capacity  and  no  rooms  are  available  for  reli- 

132 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

gious  instruction  to  be  given  during  school  hours.  This 
means  that  in  most  cases  buildings  other  than  public 
schools  will  have  to  be  used. 

One  requirement  concerning  the  location  of  such 
a  building  is  that  they  shall  be  as  near  as  possible  to 
the  public  school.  This  is  of  great  importance  even  if 
religious  instruction  is  given  entirely  outside  of  the 
pubHc-school  program.  One  of  the  conditions  upon 
which  the  success  of  week-day  instruction  depends  is 
that  children  shall  be  able  to  get  from  one  building  to 
the  other  with  the  minimum  loss  of  time  and  without 
undue  exposure  in  inclement  weather.  The  buildings, 
therefore,  should  be  located  adjacent  to  the  public- 
school  buildings  where  such  arrangement  is  possible. 

The  matter  of  equipment  should  require  little  dis- 
cussion. It  is  taken  for  granted  that  the  equipment  of 
these  schools  should  in  every  particular  be  equal  to 
that  of  the  best  public  schools.  The  material  used  as 
texts  should  be  put  into  permanent  and  attractive  form. 
Supplementary  material  should  be  properly  selected 
and  adequate  in  amount.  Blackboard  space  needs  to  be 
adequate  and  the  material  used  suitable  and  all  other 
equipment  measure  up  to  these  same  standards.  Here, 
again,  we  cannot  hope  to  accomplish  all  of  this  imme- 
diately. For  the  present  we  shall  have  to  accept  some 
conditions  not  altogether  desirable,  but  immediately 
set  ourselves  to  the  task  of  improving  these  conditions 
as  rapidly  as  possible. 

EXAMPLES  OF  COMMUNITY  SCHOOLS 

It  need  not  be  said  that  very  few  such  schools  have 
been  established  up  to  the  present  time.  Those  which 
have  been  established  are  in  their  formative  stages  and 
it  is  very  likely  no  one  would  claim  that  conclusive 

133 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

results  have  been  reached.  This  in  no  way  detracts 
from  an  appreciation  of  the  splendid  work  being  done 
by  the  workers  in  these  schools.  They  are  pioneers 
in  an  educational  movement  and  the  work  is  neces- 
sarily largely  experimental  in  character.  They  should 
not  be  regarded,  therefore,  as  furnishing  plans  to  be 
followed  in  detail.  These  plans  are,  however,  very 
suggestive  and  any  community  contemplating  establish- 
ing a  school  will  do  well  to  secure  as  complete  infor- 
mation as  possible  concerning  the  various  projects 
being  carried  on. 

Week-day  schools  were  established  about  six  years 
ago  at  Gary,  Indiana.^  This  work  was  first  carried 
on  in  church  schools,  several  churches  undertaking  to 
offer  religious  instruction  two  days  a  week.  The 
immediate  results  were  promising,  but  various  diffi- 
culties were  encountered  and  some  of  the  churches 
gave  up  the  attempt.  Others  persisted,  but  at  the  close 
of  the  school  year  of  191 7  it  had  become  clear  to  most 
of  those  continuing  that  individual  churches  could  not 
carry  the  work  on  successfully.  This  led  to  an  attempt 
to  organize  the  work  as  a  community  enterprise,  which 
was  finally  undertaken.  During  the  summer  of  19 17 
a  Board  of  Religious  Education  was  organized.  Each 
cooperating  church  was  represented  by  its  pastor,  the 
Sunday  school  superintendent,  and  two  additional  lay- 
men who  were  selected  in  such  manner  as  each  church 
should  determine.  A  smaller  body,  composed  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Board,  constituted  an  executive  committee 
having  immediate  oversight  of  the  schools. 

The  Evanston  Plan  of  community  organization  has 
already  been  discussed.    The  Board  of  Religious  Edu- 

^ Religious  Education.  October,   1918,  pp.   338,  389;  also  February,  lOiSt  PP. 
42-45- 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

cation  established  week-day  schools  in  the  latter  half 
of  the  school  year  igig-20.  Instruction  was  provided 
for  the  first  six  grades  of  elementary  public  schools. 
Two  terms  of  eight  weeks  each — one  fall,  the  other 
spring — were  conducted  during  1920-21.  The  plan 
of  grouping  is  the  usual  one,  namely,  grades  one  and 
two  constitute  one  group,  three  and  four  another, 
five  and  six  the  third.  Classes  are  held  five  days  a 
week  in  the  elementary  school  buildings  of  the  city. 
Instruction  is  given  from  8:15  to  8:45  each  morn- 
ing, five  days  a  week.  Approximately  three  fourths 
of  the  teachers  are  public-school  teachers.  The  Board 
of  Education  of  the  city  granted  the  use  of  the  build- 
ings at  a  stipulated  rental  mutually  agreed  upon  and 
gave  their  consent  that  any  of  the  public-school  teach- 
ers who  so  desired  might  participate  in  this  work.  The 
teachers  are  regularly  employed  by  the  Board  of 
Religious  Education  and  paid  a  stipulated  salary.  The 
enrollment  has  varied  during  the  three  terms  from 
approximately  six  hundred  to  one  thousand. 

A  week-day  school  was  established  in  Hobart,  In- 
diana, in  the  fall  of  19 19.  This  school  was  held  in  the 
Methodist  church  and  a  teacher  was  employed  by  that 
church.  It  was  a  community  school,  however,  in  the 
sense  that  it  was  open  to  all  the  children  of  the  com- 
munity and  several  denominations  were  represented. 
The  work  was  conducted  four  days  a  week,  each  child 
enrolled  receiving  two  hours  of  instruction  per  week. 
Classes  were  held  before  and  after  school  hours  and 
also  during  the  noon  hour. 

Two  schools  were  established  by  the  Calumet  Dis- 
trict Board  at  Indiana  Harbor,  Indiana,  in  February, 
iQ2o.^     One  of  the  schools  was  held  in  a  Methodist 

Quires,  W.  A.,  The  Week-Day  Church  School,  pp.  lOO,  133. 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

church  and  the  other  in  the  Baptist  Community  House. 
One  teacher  was  employed  in  the  former  and  two  in  the 
latter.  The  enrollment  of  pupils  was  approximately 
three  hundred  in  the  two  schools.  Instruction  was 
given  five  days  a  week,  each  child  receiving  two  hours 
of  instruction  per  week.  The  classes  were  held  outside 
of  school  hours.  One  session  of  the  school  met  from 
8:15  to  9:15  and  another  from  3:15  to  4:15.  These 
buildings  are  both  located  near  public-school  buildings 
and  therefore  the  children  can  readily  get  from  the 
public-school  building  to  the  place  where  religious 
instruction  is  given,  and  vice  versa.  Ten  minutes  was 
allowed  children  in  getting  to  or  from  the  public-school 
buildings,  and  this  reduced  the  time  of  instruction  to 
about  fifty  minutes.  The  same  general  plan  is  being 
carried  out  during  the  school  year  1920-21,  except  the 
classes  meet  four  thirty-minute  periods  per  week 
instead  of  two  one-hour  periods. 

The  Calumet  District  Board  extended  its  work  dur- 
ing the  present  school  year  to  include  Whiting  and 
Hammond.  In  both  places  classes  meet  outside  of 
school  hours  in  the  public-school  buildings.  Each 
child  receives  four  thirty-minutes  periods  of  instruction 
per  week.  Approximately  three  hundred  fifty  children 
are  enrolled  in  Whiting  and  sixteen  hundred  in  Ham- 
mond. In  each  case  work  is  provided  only  for  the 
pupils  of  the  first  six  grades.  At  both  Whiting  and 
Hammond  the  records  show  that  enrollment  held  up 
well  throughout  the  year  and  the  percentage  in  regu- 
larity and  punctuality  of  attendance  was  high,  hold- 
ing rather  steadily  around  ninety  per  cent. 

Another  example  of  week-day  school  is  found  at 
Van  Wert,  Ohio.^    This  school  was  established  in  the 

>  Religious  Education,  Febmary,  1920,  pp.  26-32. 

136 


COMMUNITY  WEEK-DAY  SCHOOLS 

fall  of  191 8  and  during  the  past  year  enrolled  approxi- 
mately eighty  per  cent  of  the  children  attending  the 
public  schools.  The  public-school  program  is  so  ad- 
justed that  some  of  the  classes  are  held  in  the  public- 
school  buildings.  Others  are  held  outside.  In  general, 
the  plan  of  conducting  the  work  here  is  similar  to  the 
plan  employed  at  Gary. 

The  plan  of  conducting  the  work  at  Batavia,  Illinois, 
is  different  from  the  other  plans  discussed  in  several 
important  particulars.^  Each  Thursday  throughout 
the  school  year  the  children  of  the  first  eight  grades 
are  excused  from  attendance  at  the  public  schools  for 
an  hour  and  fifteen  minutes.  They  go  to  their  respec- 
tive churches  and  receive  such  instruction  as  deter- 
mined upon  by  each  church.  Grades  one,  two  and 
three  meet  from  9:00  to  10:15;  Grades  four,  five,  and 
six  from  10:45  to  noon;  and  Grades  seven  and  eight 
from  1:15  to  2:15.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  work  is 
well  distributed  throughout  the  school  day.  All  ex- 
cept fifteen  of  the  seven  hundred  and  twenty-five  chil- 
dren enrolled  in  the  public  school  are  enrolled  in  these 
classes. 

Week-day  schools  were  established  in  Oak  Park,  Illi- 
nois, in  the  fall  of  1920.^  Instruction  is  offered  for 
pupils  in  the  public  school  beginning  with  the  sixth 
grade  and  extending  through  the  high  school.  By 
action  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  elementary 
schools,  pupils  whose  parents  so  desire  are  excused  two 
periods  per  week  to  receive  religious  instruction.  These 
two  periods  of  religious  instruction  are  substituted  for 
two  periods  per  week  in  the  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth 
grades.    High-school  pupils  take  the  work  in  addition 

^Ibid.,  December,  1920,  pp.  307-309. 

»Cope.  H.  F.,  The  Week-Day  Church  School,  pp.  41,  47,  84,  95,  163. 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

to  their  regular  schedule  and  receive  no  school  credit 
for  it.  The  classes  in  religious  instruction  meet  in  the 
churches  and  are  conducted  throughout  the  school  day. 
This  makes  possible  the  employment  of  full-time 
teachers  for  the  work. 

Success  of  week-day  schools. — The  success  of 
week-day  schools  wherever  in  operation  is  a  matter  of 
great  encouragement.  In  all  cases  they  are  carrying 
on  their  work  under  severe  handicaps.  Among  these 
are  the  necessity  of  having  to  hold  classes  outside  of 
school  hours,  lack  of  suitable  buildings  and  equipment, 
and  the  use  of  subject-matter  which  has  not  been  thor- 
oughly tested  out  in  practice.  In  spite  of  these  unfa- 
vorable conditions,  they  have  fully  justified  their  exist- 
ence. They  have  demonstrated  beyond  question  that 
many  parents  desire  more  adequate  religious  instruc- 
tion for  their  children  and  that  week-day  schools  meet 
a  real  community  need.  The  few  schools  already 
established. clearly  indicate  a  probable  means  of  secur- 
ing and  carrying  out  an  adequate  program  of  religious 
education  for  the  children  and  youth  of  America. 


138 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

The  chapter  title  is  used  as  descriptive  of  a  school 
organized  within  a  church  and  controlled  by  it.  The 
program  may  be  confined  entirely  to  Sunday  or  may  be 
extended  to  include  week-day  work.  It  may  be  limited 
to  classroom  instruction  or  may  include  social  and  rec- 
reational activities.  Any  school,  whatever  its  program 
may  be,  which  is  supported  and  controlled  by  a  church 
is  regarded  as  a  church  school. 

The  term  '^Sunday  school"  is  the  one  now  in  com- 
mon use,  although  by  no  means  universal.  If  the 
school  continues  to  confine  its  instruction  and  activities 
to  the  single  session  held  on  Sunday,  this  term  may 
survive.  Extension  of  its  program  to  include  all  the 
educational  agencies  of  the  church  seems  to  require 
some  other  designation.  The  plan  now  in  vogue  in 
some  places,  which  includes  the  Sunday  school  and 
other  agencies  of  the  church,  such  as  boys'  and  girls' 
clubs  and  young  people's  societies  in  a  single  adminis- 
trative unit,  is  resulting  in  the  use  of  the  more  inclu- 
sive term  "church  school."  If  week-day  instruction 
and  activities  are  included  in  the  program,  it  is  clear 
that  this  designation  is  desirable.  The  use  of  the 
term  "Sunday  school"  in  this  discussion  will  be  con- 
fined entirely  to  the  single  session  held  on  Sunday. 

The  limits  of  the  present  volume  prevent  detailed 
treatment  of  the  church  school.  Several  topics  have 
already  been  discussed  which  otherwise  would  require 

139 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

attention  here.  The  training,  selection,  and  supervi- 
sion of  teachers  and  the  administrative  management  of 
pupils  are  considered  in  subsequent  chapters.  Only- 
two  things  are  attempted  in  this  chapter :  ( i )  To  indi- 
cate in  a  general  way  the  place  of  the  church  school  in 
the  whole  scheme  of  religious  education;  and  (2)  to 
consider  briefly  some  of  the  more  important  factors 
peculiar  to  this  type  of  school.  The  discussion  is  fur- 
ther limited  for  the  most  part  to  the  single  session 
commonly  called  the  Sunday  school. 

Chtirch  school  standards. — The  success  of  any  kind 
of  school  is  impossible  in  the  absence  of  proper  stand- 
ards governing  procedure.  A  church  school  does  not, 
of  course,  constitute  an  exception  to  this  rule.  In 
Chapter  IV  reference  was  made  to  the  importance  of 
proper  educational  and  religious  standards.  What 
was  said  there  applies  with  full  force  in  this  connection. 

Influence  of  the  week-day  school. — Week-day 
instruction  is  becoming  an  important  factor,  and  wher- 
ever it  exists  must  be  taken  into  account.  This  is  true 
whether  the  week-day  work  is  carried  on  by  individual 
churches  or  by  a  community  organization.  However 
effective  the  program  may  be,  when  it  is  enlarged  to 
include  week-day  work  some  reorganization  would 
naturally  result.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  impor- 
tance of  the  Sunday  school  is  reduced.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  result  should  be  the  opposite  for  two  rea- 
sons: (i)  The  increased  interest  of  the  community  in 
religious  education  should  result  in  increased  interest  in 
the  Sunday  school.  This  result  is  already  apparent 
in  some  communities  where  week-day  schools  are  main- 
tained. (2)  The  educational  standards  set  by  the  com- 
munity schools  should  serve  as  a  stimulus  and  guide 
in  securing  more  effective  work  in  the  Sunday  school. 

140 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

This  result  is  also  already  apparent  in  some  communi- 
ties which  maintain  these  schools. 

It  is  true,  of  course,  that  the  weakness  of  an  ill- 
adapted  program  and  ineffective  organization  and  man- 
agement is  made  more  evident  by  the  greater  success 
of  the  week-day  schools.  The  programs  of  the  latter 
are  usually  better  conceived  from  the  pedagogical 
standpoint,  supervision  is  usually  more  effective,  and 
the  work  of  the  teachers  more  successful.  All  this  has 
a  tendency  to  place  in  contrast  the  work  of  the  poorer 
Sunday  schools. 

Two  such  cases  have  come  to  the  attention  of  the 
writer  recently.  Children  in  the  Sunday  schools  who 
were  also  attending  week-day  schools  noticed  the  dif- 
ference with  respect  to  regularity  and  punctuality  in 
attendance,  the  more  interesting  character  of  the  sub- 
ject-matter, and  the  more  effective  teaching.  They 
were  also  impressed  by  the  better  discipline  maintained 
in  the  week-day  schools.  Comments  of  the  children  on 
these  differences  came  to  the  attention  of  the  pastors 
and  the  officials  of  the  Sunday  schools.  All,  however, 
accepted  the  criticisms  in  the  proper  spirit  and  imme- 
diately set  to  work  to  raise  the  standards  in  the  Sunday 
schools.  In  these  cases  the  more  successful  appeal  to 
the  children  made  by  the  week-day  schools  served  as  a 
stimulus  to  those  having  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school 
in  charge.  This  should  be  true  in  all  similar  cases,  pro- 
viding the  officials  and  the  Sunday  school  teachers  are 
alive  to  the  interests  involved.  Many  Sunday  schools, 
no  doubt,  need  some  such  stimulus  to  secure  proper 
reorganization. 

THE    PROGRAM    OF    THE    CHURCH    SCHOOL 

The  character  of  the  educational  program  of  the 
141 


ORGANIZATION   OF   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

church  has  already  been  discussed  in  Chapter  IV.  It 
is  very  obvious,  as  there  pointed  out,  that  there  is 
needed  a  much  more  extensive  and  vital  program  of 
religious  education  than  is  now  furnished  by  the 
church  school.  Whether  a  particular  church  desires 
to  carry  out  this  larger  program  through  its  own  school, 
or  prefers  to  have  part  of  it  carried  out  through  the 
community  week-day  schools,  is  a  matter  which  it 
decides  for  itself.  In  any  case,  the  larger  program 
is  an  imperative  necessity  and  every  church  should  set 
itself  to  the  task  of  providing  such  a  program. 

Scope  of  work. — The  scope  of  the  work  of  the 
church  school  will  be  determined  by  the  function  which 
it  is  desired  to  have  it  perform.  If  it  is  to  furnish 
all  the  educational  opportunity  for  the  children  who 
attend,  then  its  program  will  have  to  be  conceived  ac- 
cordingly. On  the  other  hand,  if  it  is  to  furnish  only 
part  of  such  opportunity  and  the  rest  be  left  to  the 
community  school,  then  this  will  limit  the  scope  of  its 
work.  It  is  evident  that  week-day  religious  instruc- 
tion is  necessary,  and  if  the  church  does  not  desire  to 
commit  this  task  to  the  community  school,  then  its 
own  program  should  be  extended  to  include  it.  The 
scope  of  the  work,  therefore,  of  the  church  school  is 
largely  determined  by  whether  it  confines  its  activities 
to  Sunday  instruction  or  includes  week-day  instruc- 
tion and  activities  as  well. 

Program  not  limited  to  instruction. — It  should  be 
said,  however,  that  any  effective  program  of  religious 
education  cannot  be  limited  merely  to  instruction.  The 
social  and  recreational  activities  of  children  and  young 
people  must  come  in  for  a  large  share  of  attention. 
The  necessity  for  this  has  been  pointed  out  in  a  pre- 
vious chapter.    The  point  of  emphasis  here  is  that  these 

142 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

needs  must  be  taken  into  account  in  formulating  and 
administering  a  church-school  program. 

Time  schedtile. — Time  schedules  need  to  be  ex- 
tended. The  extension  of  the  work  of  the  church 
school  to  include  week-day  instruction  means,  of 
course,  an  extension  of  time.  One  hour  a  week  would 
not  be  more  productive  of  results  if  the  instruction 
should  be  given  on  a  week-day  instead  of  on  Sunday. 
One  of  the  crying  needs  of  religious  education  at  pres- 
ent, as  already  pointed  out,  is  more  time.  The  work 
of  the  Sunday  school  has  received  much  adverse  criti- 
cism because  we  have  expected  it  to  accomplish  the  im- 
possible, taking  into  account  the  limitations  under 
which  it  carries  on  its  work.  One  important  limitation 
is  the  rpatter  of  time. 

Three  and  one  half  sixty-minute  hours  per  week 
has  been  suggested  as  the  minimum  time  to  be  devoted 
to  religious  instruction.  This  suggestion  is  based  on 
the  assumption,  that,  for  the  present,  at  least,  a  mini- 
mum of  two  hours  of  week-day  instruction  will  be  pro- 
vided where  week-day  schools  are  established.  This 
means  that  any  additional  instruction  will  have  to  be 
given  on  Sunday.  The  time  schedule  for  week-day 
schools  has  already  been  discussed,  and  it  will  be  as- 
sumed that  if  the  church  school  carries  on  week-day 
instruction,  the  time  schedule  already  indicated  will 
serve.  Further  discussion  under  this  section  will  be 
devoted  to  the  Sunday  school. 

The  one-hotjr  session. —  The  present  one-hour  ses- 
sion of  the  Sunday  school  is  unsatisfactory.  It  has 
demonstrated  its  limitations  beyond  any  question.  If 
full  sixty  minutes  could  be  devoted  to  the  actual  work 
of  teaching  and  learning,  the  work  would  be  much 
more  fruitful.    But  when  time  is  taken  out  for  open- 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

ing  and  closing  exercises,  for  announcements,  special 
pleas,  brief  "talks  to  the  children,"  and  various  other 
things,  the  few  minutes  which  remain  do  not  furnish 
any  opportunity  for  effective  teaching.  Another  seri- 
ous defect  with  the  present  time  schedule  is  that  no 
opportunity  is  given  the  pupils  for  a  study  of  the  les- 
sons. Successful  work  on  the  part  of  any  teacher  is 
quite  impossible  if  pupils  do  not  make  preparation  of 
the  lessons  assigned.  Under  present  conditions  Sun- 
day-school teachers  have  to  choose  among  three  alter- 
natives :  ( I )  They  have  to  devote  the  time  allotted  them 
to  directing  the  pupils  in  the  study  of  a  lesson 
which    they    will    not    have    time    to    recite    upon; 

(2)  attempt  to  secure  a  discussion  of  a  les- 
son by  the  pupils  which  they  have  not  studied;  or, 

(3)  talk  to  the  pupils  about  a  lesson  which  they  have 
not  prepared.  For  a  teacher  to  be  compelled  to  accept 
any  one  of  these  situations  is  intolerable.  The  fact  that 
some  Sunday-school  teachers  are  successful  in  spite  of 
this  system  is  no  argument  for  the  system.  It  is  sim- 
ply an  evidence  of  what  these  teachers  can  accom- 
plish even  under  adverse  circumstances. 

The  attempt  which  the  Sunday  school  makes  to  fur- 
nish opportunity  for  experience  and  training  in  wor- 
ship is  rendered  largely  unsuccessful  by  the  same  lim- 
itation. This  should  be  one  of  the  important  functions 
of  the  Sunday  school,  and  adequate  time  should  be 
provided  for  it.  This  is  not  possible  if  but  a  single 
hour  is  devoted  to  the  whole  session.  It  is  true,  of 
course,  that  lack  of  time  is  not  the  only  reason  for 
failure.  But  it  is  one  of  the  handicaps  under  which 
the  work  is  being  carried  on,  and  there  is  no  reason 
why  it  should  not  be  removed. 

Distribution  of  time. — The  three  purposes  of  the 
144 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

Sunday  school  program  have  already  been  indicated. 
They  are :  ( i )  To  provide  adequate  time  for  the  study 
of  the  lessons  under  the  direction  and  supervision  of 
the  teachers;  (2)  to  give  opportunity  for  recitation  and 
discussion  of  the  lessons;  and  (3)  to  provide  suffi- 
cient time,  if  properly  utilized,  for  instructing  and 
drilling  pupils  in  modes  of  worship.  The  following 
distribution  of  time  and  arrangement  of  program  is 
suggested:  (i)  Thirty  minutes  for  study;  (2)  thirty 
minutes  for  worship;  and  (3)  thirty  minutes  for  reci- 
tation and  discussion.  The  precise  amount  of  time 
devoted  to  each  of  the  three  parts  of  the  program  and 
the  order  assigned  to  each  is  secondary  in  importance. 
The  important  thing  is  that  each  of  these  purposes 
shall  have  proper  emphasis. 

If  a  distribution  of  time  somewhat  different  is  found 
more  desirable,  it  should  be  adopted.  Public  schools 
have  been  experimenting  for  some  time  on  the  distribu- 
tion of  time  between  study  and  recitation.  The  general 
practice  now  is  to  divide  the  time  equally.  It  may  also 
be  found  desirable  to  change  the  order  indicated.  This 
order  is  suggested  in  the  belief  that  an  unbroken  period 
of  one  hour  of  study  and  recitation  is  rather  long  for 
the  best  results.  The  period  of  worship,  if  inter- 
spersed, will  provide  variety,  help  in  securing  a  proper 
religious  atmosphere,  and  relieve  pupils  from  any  un- 
due strain  incident  to  the  uninterrupted  study  and 
recitation  periods. 

In  any  case  the  above  program  would  have  to  be 
modified  somewhat  for  the  beginners  and  primary  pu- 
pils. No  such  clear  distinction  can  be  made  between 
study  and  recitation  as  here  indicated.  In  spite  of  this, 
however,  the  principle  still  holds  that  a  program  should 
provide  both  for  the  preparation  of  a  lesson  and  for 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

discussion  and  recitation.  It  also  holds  true  regardless 
of  the  age  of  children  that  a  period  of  worship  should 
form  an  integral  and  vital  part  of  every  Sunday  school 
program.  Study,  recitation,  and  worship,  with  proper 
emphasis  upon  each  and  in  whatever  order  proves  best, 
are  necessary  if  a  Sunday  school  is  expected  to  perform 
its  rightful  function. 

CHURCH  SCHOOL  CURRICULA 

The  curricula  for  week-day  instruction  have  been 
discussed  in  Chapter  VI  and  will  not  be  considered 
here.  Discussion,  in  this  connection,  will  be  confined 
entirely  to  the  Sunday  session.  The  underlying  prin- 
ciples are  not  different  from  those  in  the  case  of  the 
week-day  schools. 

Material  must  be  selected  with  specific  reference  to 
the  aims  and  must  be  adapted  to  the  needs,  interests, 
and  capacities  of  the  children.  It  is  not  possible  to 
state,  in  any  conclusive  way,  what  the  details  of  the 
curriculum  should  be.  Curricula  will  differ  in  different 
churches.  While  we  might  expect  a  high  degree  of 
uniformity  in  week-day  schools,  especially  in  com- 
munity schools,  we  cannot  expect  anything  like  this 
uniformity  in  the  work  of  the  Sunday  schools.  If  one 
of  the  aims  of  the  Sunday  school  is  to  give  instruction, 
in  matters  pertaining  to  doctrine,  modes  of  worship, 
sacraments,  church  history,  and  polity,  the  subject- 
matter  will  differ  considerably  in  the  different  denom- 
inations. 

It  is  probable  that  some  church  schools  will  desire 
to  provide  little  or  no  instruction  of  this  kind.  On 
the  other  hand,  in  some  of  the  denominations,  consid- 
erable emphasis  will  be  placed  upon  this  type  of  instruc- 
tion.   Those  wishing  to  give  little  instruction  in  these 

146 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

matters,  but  desiring  to  give  opportunity  for  pupils  to 
receive  instruction  and  gain  experience  in  matters  of 
worship,  will  accomplish  this  by  using  the  period  set 
apart  for  worship  and  general  exercises.  This  will 
leave  them  free  to  devote  the  rest  of  the  hour  and  a 
half  to  instruction,  either  identical  or  very  similar  in 
character  to  that  given  in  the  week-day  schools.  Each 
church  will,  of  course,  determine  its  own  policy. 

It  is  obvious,  in  so  far  as  the  Sunday  session  offers 
opportunity  for  differentiated  instruction  from  a  de- 
nominational standpoint,  that  there  will  be  consider- 
able variation  in  the  kind  of  subject-matter  used.  Any 
detailed  discussion  of  the  different  types  of  subject- 
matter  is,  therefore,  impossible  because  of  the  neces- 
sary limitations  of  the  treatment  of  the  subject  here. 
Let  it  be  repeated  that  the  principles  governing  the 
choice  of  subject-matter,  its  organization  into  units  of 
instruction,  and  the  organization  of  these  into  curric- 
ula, are  the  same  as  in  the  case  of  week-day  schools  or 
public  schools.  The  same  children  are  to  be  taught, 
and  their  needs,  capacities,  and  interests  have  to  be 
taken  fully  into  account.  The  aims  may  be  somewhat 
different,  but  the  same  pedagogical  principles  prevail 
in  their  application. 

Need  of  reorganization. — Sunday-school  curricula 
need  fundamental  reorganization.  It  is  evident  that 
an  extension  of  the  time  of  the  Sunday  school  and  the 
establishment  of  either  community  or  week-day  schools 
will  call  for  considerable  modifications  of  Sunday- 
school  curricula.  These  schools,  however,  exist  now 
in  very  few  places,  and  even  though  their  growth 
should  be  very  rapid,  as  promised,  the  Sunday  school 
for  some  time  to  come  will  still  remain  the  most  im- 
portant agency  giving  formal  religious  instruction.    It 

147 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

is,  therefore,  necessary  to  give  careful  consideration  to 
the  matter  of  the  reconstruction  of  its  curricula. 

If  the  conclusions,  concerning  the  aims  of  religious 
education  set  forth  in  Chapter  III  are  to  control  in 
the  selection  of  subject-matter,  and  if  the  principles  of 
program-making  set  forth  in  Chapter  IV  are  to  serve 
as  guides,  considerable  reorganization  is  required. 
This  is  true  regardless  of  whether  the  Sunday  school 
is  the  only  agency  in  the  community  providing  reli- 
gious instruction  or  only  one  of  the  agencies  main- 
tained to  carry  out  the  program.  These  curricula  will 
in  the  very  nature  of  the  case  be  quite  different  in 
communities  where  no  week-day  instruction  is  pro- 
vided from  what  they  are  where  week-day  schools  are 
maintained. 

If  the  common  elements  of  instruction  referred  to 
in  Chapter  IV  are  provided  in  week-day  schools  con- 
ducted either  as  a  community  enterprise  or  by  the 
churches  themselves,  a  very  important  part  of  the  pro- 
gram is  already  taken  care  of.  This  leaves  the  Sunday 
school  free  to  devote  its  attention  entirely  to  more  of 
the  same  kind  of  instruction  or  exclusively  to  matters 
pertaining  to  denominational  interests,  or  to  a  com- 
bination of  these  two  with  such  emphasis  as  is  desired. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Sunday  school  is  the  only 
agency,  then  it  has  to  make  a  choice  as  to  what  part  of 
the  program  it  will  carry  out,  leaving  the  rest  of  the 
work  undone.  In  either  case,  as  pointed  out  above, 
rather  fundamental  reconstruction  will  have  to  take 
place. 

Three  types  of  material. — Present  curricula  consist 
of  three  types  of  material.^  ( i )  A  series  of  ungraded 

»Betts,  G.  H..  The  Curriculum  of  Religious  Education.     Occasional  Papers  N9.  9, 
Department  of  Religious  Education,  Northwestern  University. 

148 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

Bible  lessons;  (2)  a  series  of  graded  lessons,  the  mate- 
rial of  which  is  selected  chiefly  from  the  Bible;  and 
(3)  several  textbook  series,  the  material  of  which  is 
selected  from  both  biblical  and  extra-biblical  sources. 
The  basic  material  in  the  first  two  of  these  series  is 
selected  by  the  International  Lesson  Committee  and  is, 
therefore,  interdenominational  in  character,  so  far  as 
the  general  outline  of  the  work  is  concerned.  Each 
denomination,  however,  may  publish  its  own  lesson 
material,  employing  writers  to  supply  the  lessons  with 
pedagogical  helps  for  teachers  and  pupils.  The  two 
series  thus  presented  are  used  by  a  large  majority  of 
the  Sunday  schools. 

The  third  group  of  material  is  in  textbook  form,  and 
no  uniformity  exists  in  these  texts.  Certain  denom- 
inations publish  texts  of  their  own.  Among  these  are 
the  Episcopal  and  Unitarian.  The  former  texts  are 
known  as  "Christian  Nurture  Series,"  and  the  latter 
as  the  "Beacon  Course."  Other  textbook  series  are 
being  published  independent  of  denominational  control. 
Examples  of  these  are  "Constructive  Studies  in  Reli- 
gion," and  "Completely  Graded  Series."  These  are 
used  comparatively  in  a  very  limited  number  of  Sun- 
day schools.  Statistics  are  not  very  conclusive,  but 
it  is  probable  that  at  least  fifty  per  cent  of  the  children 
enrolled  in  the  Sunday  schools  are  using  the  ungraded 
material  and  that  a  large  majority  of  the  remainder 
are  using  the  graded  lessons. 

When  one  examines  these  various  types  of  material 
it  becomes  obvious  that  radical  reconstructions  are 
necessary.  It  seems  conclusive  that  the  Uniform  Les- 
sons should  be  entirely  eliminated.  The  fact  that  they 
are  "uniform"  condemns  them  without  further  hear- 
ing.    Whenever  any  series  of  lessons  used  in  any 

149 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

school  pleads  guilty  to  uniformity,  there  is  little 
that  can  be  said  in  defense  of  its  use.  The  ungraded 
school  of  any  kind  has  no  place  in  the  category  of  edu- 
cational institutions.  Modern  education  has  so  com- 
pletely committed  itself  both  in  principle  and  practice 
to  the  grading  of  the  work  to  fit  the  needs  and  capaci- 
ties of  the  child  that  the  question  is  no  longer  open  to 
argument. 

From  the  standpoint  of  gradation  some  modifica- 
tion of  the  ungraded  lessons  is  secured  in  what  are 
called  Departmental  Lessons.  This  type  of  so  called 
gradation  is  based  on  the  practice  in  many  Sunday 
schools  of  dividing  the  school  into  departments.  This 
means  that  all  the  children  in  the  primary  department, 
for  example,  use  one  set  of  lessons,  those  in  another 
department,  called  the  junior,  use  another  set,  and 
those  in  the  intermediate  department  another  set,  and 
so  on.  Material,  graded  on  the  basis  of  departments, 
is  more  usable  than  if  not  graded  at  all,  but  its  use  is 
highly  unsatisfactory.  In  Sunday  schools  where  the 
enrollment  is  so  small  that  it  is  impossible  to  organize 
classes,  except  by  including  all  the  children  in  a  de- 
partment in  one  class,  the  only  practicable  thing  is  to 
use  some  form  of  departmental  lessons.  This  arrange- 
ment, however,  calls  for  exceptional  ability  on  the  part 
of  the  teachers  if  successful  results  are  secured. 

The  International  Graded  Lessons  are  so  far  su- 
perior to  either  the  Uniform  or  Departmental  lessons 
that  they  should  supersede  them  in  every  case  where 
the  choice  lies  among  these  three.  It  should  not  be 
assumed,  however,  that  the  International  Lessons  are 
entirely  satisfactory  from  the  standpoint  of  grading. 
An  examination  of  the  material  from  the  viewpoint 
of  its  organization  reveals  that  the  grading  has  been 

150 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

done  too  much  from  the  standpoint  of  subject-matter 
itself.  That  is  to  say,  we  have  a  logical  rather  than  a 
psychological  standpoint  for  grading.  As  suggested  by 
Dr.  Betts,  this  may  be  due  in  part  to  faulty  psychology. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  it  results  mainly  from  the 
assumption  that  certain  types  of  biblical  material  must 
be  taught,  whether  or  no,  at  a  given  period  and  within 
a  given  time. 

This  leads  us  to  a  criticism  of  all  the  material  con- 
sidered thus  far  from  the  standpoint  of  its  content. 
The  material  is  selected  almost  wholly  from  the  Bible, 
and  any  series  of  lessons  thus  constituted  is  faulty. 
This  was  discussed  in  some  detail  in  Chapter  IV  and 
need  not  be  further  enlarged  upon.  The  limitations 
upon  the  biblical  material,  both  psychological  and 
social,  were  there  pointed  out.  Full  recognition  should 
be  given  to  the  importance  of  the  Bible  as  a  source  of 
material  for  religious  instruction.  But  the  purpose  of 
instruction,  after  all,  is  not  to  teach  the  Bible,  but  to 
teach  religion. 

Another  serious  objection  which  is  common  to  the 
uniform  departmental  and  graded  lessons  is  the  form 
in  which  they  are  published.  The  leaflet  form  is  un- 
satisfactory, and  it  seems  that  no  argument  is  necessary 
to  sustain  this  point.  For  the  most  part,  also,  the 
printing  is  bad  and  the  paper  is  poor,  and  the  whole 
aspect  of  the  leaflet  makes  an  unfavorable  impression 
upon  the  child.  The  material  of  religious  instruction 
should  be  high  grade,  the  printing  clear,  binding  should 
be  permanent  and  attractive,  and  the  textbooks  should 
measure  up  in  every  respect  to  the  standards  set  by  the 
best  public  school  textbooks  in  use. 

The  various  textbooks  series  commend  themselves 
from  three  standpoints.    In  the  first  place,  the  mate- 

151 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

rial  is  presented  in  textbook  form.  The  binding  in 
some  cases  is  not  desirable  and  it  should  be  changed. 
Second,  attempt  is  made  in  all  of  these  series  to  secure 
careful  gradation  of  subject-matter  with  respect  to  the 
capacities  and  interests  of  the  child.  This  has  been 
accomplished  with  varying  degrees  of  success.  The 
third  commendable  feature  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
more  extra-biblical  material  is  included.  Here,  again, 
there  is  considerable  difference  in  the  relative  amount 
of  such  material. 

It  is  apparent  at  once  that  the  texts  published  by 
the  denominations  would  not  probably  be  acceptable 
for  Sunday  schools  outside  of  those  denominations. 
On  the  other  hand,  those  which  present  no  particular 
denominational  point  of  view  would  not  be  satisfac- 
tory for  the  use  of  a  Sunday  school  which  has  as  one  of 
its  aims  the  presentation  of  denominational  values 
from  the  standpoint  of  its  own  church.  These  texts, 
however,  constitute  a  serious  attempt  to  secure  im- 
provement in  the  particulars  already  pointed  out. 
They  furnish  valuable  suggestions  for  the  reor- 
ganizing of  Sunday  school  work  from  the  standpoint 
of  material  used,  the  organization  of  the  subject-mat- 
ter, and  the  form  in  which  it  is  published. 

ORGANIZATION  AND  ADMINISTRATION 

The  organization  of  the  work  of  the  church  school 
has  already  been  discussed  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
program.  We  now  turn,  more  specifically,  to  the  prob- 
lem of  the  machinery  and  personnel  employed  in  con- 
ducting the  school.  It  is  matter  of  common  knowledge 
that  many  Sunday  schools  are  poorly  organized,  and 
that  the  administration  is  ineffective.  Clearly  defined 
aims  will  not  function  of  themselves.    Subject-matter, 

152 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

if  properly  selected  and  organized,  has  to  be  taught  by 
competent  persons.  More  than  this,  the  organization 
of  the  school  itself  must  be  in  harmony  with  its  pur- 
poses and  the  administration  must  be  such  as  to  secure 
favorable  conditions  under  which  the  work  is  carried 
on.  We  have  come  to  realize  this  very  clearly  in  the 
case  of  public  schools  and  are  giving  more  and  more 
attention  to  matters  of  organization  and  administra- 
tion. 

The  church  as  an  educational  agency. —  If  the 
church  school  is  to  become  a  real  and  effective  agency 
in  education,  a  different  attitude  on  the  part  of  the 
church  toward  the  school  is,  in  most  cases,  absolutely 
essential.  Apparently,  the  church  at  large  is  much 
interested  in  religious  education,  as  evidenced  by  the 
efforts  being  put  forth  by  the  various  denominational 
educational  boards.  When  we  come  to  look  at  the  mat- 
ter, however,  from  the  standpoint  of  individual 
churches,  the  situation  in  many  cases  is  radically  differ- 
ent. They  are  not  organized  for  effective  educational 
work.  Buildings  are  unsuitable  and  poorly  equipped; 
in  fact,  many  have  no  equipment  at  all.  The  funda- 
mental cause  underlying  these  conditions  is  indiffer- 
ence on  the  part  of  the  members  of  the  church. 

In  the  case  of  many  churches,  parents  who  are  mem- 
bers do  not  send  their  children  to  the  church  school. 
Many  others  who  do  send  their  children  do  not  seem 
to  take  very  much  interest  in  what  is  going  on.  They 
are  apparently  not  concerned  about  what  their  children 
study  or  the  kind  of  building  in  which  the  work  is  car- 
ried on  or  the  equipment  for  the  work.  Attendance  is 
frequently  irregular,  cases  of  tardiness  are  numerous, 
and  the  not  infrequent  indifference  to  these  delinquen- 
cies on  the  part  of  the  children  reflects  the  indifference 

153 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

of  parents.  It  is  true,  of  course,  that  many  parents 
do  not  belong  to  this  class.  But  the  evidence  is  suffi- 
ciently conclusive  to  v^arrant  the  statement  that  indif- 
ference is  a  great  hindrance  to  success.  What  a  church 
says  about  its  Sunday  school  fails  to  convince.  What 
it  does  to  make  it  effective  is  the  only  evidence  in  this 
connection  that  has  any  weight.  The  whole  matter  of 
enrollment,  attendance,  punctuality,  and  gradation  of 
pupils  is  considered  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Importance  of  the  teaching  function. — The  out- 
look for  the  church  school  is  not  promising  in  any 
church  which  does  not  take  its  teaching  ministry  seri- 
ously. When  a  church  comes  to  the  full  realization 
that  one  of  its  great  functions  is  to  teach  religion,  not 
merely  to  preach  it,  then  we  shall  have  a  right  to  expect 
results.  The  educational  function  of  the  church  has 
been  discussed  in  detail  in  Chapter  II,  and  reference 
to  it  is  here  made  only  by  way  of  emphasis.  The 
organization  of  the  church  as  an  educational  agency 
is  absolutely  essential  to  the  success  of  the  church 
school.  This  means  intelligent  interest  and  hearty 
cooperation  in  an  educational  enterprise  on  the  part  of 
its  entire  membership. 

It  must,  in  fact,  be  made  a  cooperative  enterprise. 
The  conduct  of  the  school  must  of  necessity  be  left  to 
a  small  body  acting  in  an  administrative  capacity.  But 
this  organization  must  have  the  support  of  an  inter- 
ested and  intelligent  public  opinion.  This  it  does  not 
now  have  in  most  churches.  If  public  schools  lacked 
the  support  of  the  communities  in  the  same  degree  that 
most  Sunday  schools  fail  to  receive  the  support  of  the 
church,  public  education  would  be  at  low  ebb.  As 
long  as  indifference  prevails  in  the  church,  the  Sunday 
school  will  be  correspondingly  ineffective.    The  remedy 

154 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOL 

for  present  conditions  is  an  awakening  of  the  church 
accompanied  by  a  thorough  reorganization  which  will 
cause  it  to  function  as  an  educational  agency.  In 
the  average  church,  how  many  people  who  do  not  have 
children  are  interested  in  the  Sunday  school?  How 
many  of  such  contribute  to  its  support  or  have  any 
concern  whether  it  succeeds  or  fails?  The  number 
is  so  small  as  to  indicate  that  interest  in  and  a  sense 
of  responsibility  for  the  success  of  the  work  of  the 
Sunday  school  are  sadly  deficient. 

Reorganization  within  the  school. — Effective  ad- 
ministration and  supervision  of  a  school  of  any  sort 
require  that  it  be  properly  organized.  A  school  is 
not  merely  a  matter  of  teacher  and  pupil.  It  is  in 
effect  an  organization  of  all  the  factors  which  consti- 
tute a  modern  school.  These  include  physical  features 
of  the  school,  including  building  and  equipment,  the 
daily  program  of  work,  and  the  planning  for  various 
class  groups  engaged  in  study  and  recitation.  A 
church  school  if  efficient  in  its  work  must  fulfill  these 
conditions  with  respect  to  organization  the  same  as 
any  other  school.  When  properly  organized,  the  task 
of  administration  and  supervision  still  remains  to  be 
performed.  This  is  best  accomplished  by  the  same  per- 
sonnel responsible  for  the  details  of  the  organization 
of  the  school.  This  body  must,  however,  be  com- 
posed in  such  manner  as  to  permit  it  to  function  most 
effectively  in  administrative  and  supervisory  capacities. 

Single  administrative  unit. — The  church  should  be 
so  organized  as  to  make  possible  the  administering  of 
the  entire  educational  program  of  the  church — instruc- 
tional, social,  and  recreational.  Further,  the  program 
should  be  conceived  as  a  single  administrative  unit 
including  all  week-day  as  well  as  Sunday  activities. 

155 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

The  Sunday  school  is,  of  course,  included,  but  its  work 
constitutes  only  a  part  of  the  entire  program. 
Young  people's  societies,  boys'  and  girls'  clubs,  chil- 
dren's missionary  societies,  and  all  other  groups  and 
organizations  which  have  for  their  purpose  the  reli- 
gious nurture  and  development  of  children  and  youth 
should  constitute  an  integral  part  of  the  church  school. 
Added  to  these  would  be  teacher-training  classes  and 
all  other  organized  means  designed  to  prepare  for  vo- 
cational or  avocational  service  within  the  church. 

Single  administrative  board. — If  the  nature 
and  functions  of  a  church  school  are  thus  conceived, 
it  requires  a  single  administrative  body  to  organize  and 
administer  its  program.  This  body  should  be  small, 
consisting  of  five  or  seven  members,  and  its  members 
selected  on  a  basis  of  their  fitness  for  the  task.  The 
qualifications  and  functions  of  this  board  should  be 
similar  to  those  already  indicated  in  Chapter  V  for 
boards  of  religious  education.  An  executive  officer, 
director,  superintendent,  or  by  whatever  name  desig- 
nated is,  of  course,  essential  to  give  detailed  direction 
to  the  work.  Only  when  a  church  school  is  properly 
organized  and  its  work  unified,  adequately  equipped, 
and  its  activities  intelligently  and  systematically  super- 
vised, can  it  be  expected  to  serve  the  educational  inter- 
ests of  the  church  and  community. 


iS6 


CHAPTER   VIII 
THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

It  should  be  said  at  the  outset  that  in  teaching  reli- 
gion nothing  can  take  the  place  of  vital  religious  life 
and  character.  And,  further,  that  nothing  can  be 
substituted  for  personal  consecration  to  the  great  task 
of  enlarging  and  enriching  the  spiritual  lives  of  chil- 
dren and  youth.  Personality — both  in  the  sense  of 
what  the  teacher  is  and  in  the  motive  that  lies  back  of 
what  she  does — is  absolutely  essential.  Let  no  mis- 
take be  made  at  this  point.  Any  attempt  to  substitute 
a  knowledge  of  educational  technique  for  spiritual 
values  will  end  in  utter  failure. 

On  the  other  hand  personal  religious  experience  and 
consecration  to  the  task  of  teaching  do  not  in  and  of 
themselves  fit  one  for  the  teacher's  work.  Successful 
teaching  is  a  highly  specialized  art  and  in  the  light  of 
modern  psychology  and  pedagogy  is  becoming  a  sci- 
ence. Teaching  religion  constitutes  no  exception  to 
this  general  fact.  It  calls  for  clear  definition  of  aims, 
intelligent  evaluation  of  means,  and  a  high  degree  of 
skill  in  the  selection  and  use  of  methods.  Personality 
and  teaching  ability  are  both  essential.  The  latter  can 
have  little  meaning  in  the  absence  of  the  former.  The 
former  functions  by  means  of  the  latter.  Vital  reli- 
gious experience  and  teaching  skill  constitute  the  nec- 
essary combination. 

PUBLIC  SCHOOL  EXPERIENCE 

In  considering  the  matter  of  training  teachers  in  the 
157 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

field  of  religious  education  a  brief  reference  to  public 
education  is  desirable.  Here  we  have  standardized 
experience  which  may  be  utilized  to  very  great  advan- 
tage. No  attempt  should  be  made  to  take  over  with- 
out necessary  modifications  the  aims,  means,  and 
methods  of  training  public-school  teachers.  A  knowl- 
edge of  these  is,  however,  highly  useful  in  our  attempt 
to  provide  an  adequate  program  of  teacher  training  in 
the  field  of  religious  education. 

Growth  of  teacher  training  facilities. — One  of  the 
most  significant  things  in  the  development  of  public 
education  is  the  growth  in  facilities  for  training  teach- 
ers. The  normal-school  movement,  which  had  its  rise 
about  1840,  has  gradually  spread  throughout  the  entire 
country,  and  at  the  present  time  every  State  in  the 
Union  has  from  one  to  several  normal  schools  the  func- 
tion of  which  is  to  train  teachers  particularly  for  the 
elementary  schools.  Accompanying  this  movement  in 
the  training  of  elementary  teachers  has  been  the  estab- 
lishment of  departments  or  schools  of  education,  not 
only  in  State  universities,  but  also  in  universities  and 
colleges  established  and  maintained  by  extra-govern- 
mental agencies  including  denominational  institutions. 
As  distinguished  from  the  normal  school,  these  depart- 
ments or  schools  of  education  have  for  their  chief 
function  the  training  of  educational  administrators  and 
teachers  in  secondary  schools  and  higher  institutions. 

It  is  equally  significant  that  facilities  for  training 
teachers  constitute  an  integral  part  of  the  educational 
programs  which  have  been  set  up  under  governmental 
direction  in  the  countries  outside  of  our  own  boun- 
daries where  we  have  undertaken  to  inaugurate  educa- 
tional systems.  The  Philippine  Islands  and  Porto 
Rico  are  examples.    It  was  recognized  at  the  very  out- 

158 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

set  that  social  and  political  reorganization  of  any  per- 
manent sort  was  impossible  without  well-organized 
school  systems  and  that  the  latter  in  turn  were  not  pos- 
sible without  adequate  facilities  for  training  adminis- 
trators and  teachers.  Hence  normal  schools  from  the 
beginning  of  our  efforts  became  an  integral  part  of 
these  systems. 

Standardizing  agencies. — ^Another  evidence  of  the 
emphasis  which  we  are  placing  upon  teacher  training 
is  found  in  legislative  enactment  and  in  rules  and  regu- 
lations of  various  educational  boards.  Specific  require- 
ments are  now  made  in  the  majority  of  our  States  con- 
cerning the  character  and  extent  of  academic  and 
professional  training  which  candidates  for  teachers' 
certificates  must  secure  before  they  become  eligible  for 
certificates.  In  some  of  the  States  the  amount  of  time 
specified  which  must  be  spent  in  preparation  is  inade- 
quate and  the  professional  standards  are  low.  But  the 
fact  that  an  absolute  requirement  is  made  that  persons 
seeking  to  become  teachers  shall  have  a  certain  amount 
of  professional  work,  although  that  amount  be  small,  is 
a  matter  of  great  significance. 

In  committing  ourselves  to  the  task  of  universal 
education  we  have  also  committed  ourselves  to  the 
principle  that  the  teaching  function  is  of  so  great  im- 
portance that  no  one  should  be  permitted  to  undertake 
to  perform  it  who  has  not  been  specifically  trained  for 
it.  The  really  significant  thing  involved  in  the  atten- 
tion being  given  to  teacher  training,  particularly  for 
elementary  and  secondary  schools,  is  the  relation  of  the 
movement  to  the  new  conception  we  are  coming  to  have 
of  education  itself.  In  a  word,  this  conception  is  that 
the  purpose  of  education  is  to  develop  the  powers  and 
capacities  of  children  and  youth  with  reference  to 

159 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

certain  great  social  purposes  which  as  a  people  we  have 
set  out  to  accomplish.  Those  who  teach  must  be  intel- 
ligent concerning  these  purposes,  and  must  understand 
the  relation  which  education  sustains  to  their  accom- 
plishment. 

Importance  of  teacher  training. — Teachers  of  reli- 
gion need  the  same  scientific  and  sympathetic  knowl- 
edge of  children  as  do  public-school  teachers.  A 
knowledge  of  their  needs,  interests,  and  capacities  is 
necessary  to  successful  teaching  of  any  kind.  Teachers 
must  also  know  the  social  as  well  as  the  psychological 
factors  which  govern  in  educational  procedure.  Both 
these  factors  are  equally  important  for  religious  and 
secular  education.  Consecration  to  the  work  on  the 
part  of  teachers  is  essential,  but  even  when  supported 
by  high-grade  native  ability  it  cannot  take  the  place  of 
intelligent  social  outlook  and  scientific  information. 
The  training  of  administrators  and  teachers  in  the  field 
of  religious  education  is  one  of  the  most  important 
tasks  confronting  the  church.  The  success  of  the  great 
movement  now  under  way  to  extend  and  vitalize  reli- 
gious instruction  depends  in  large  measure  upon 
whether  adequate  facilities  are  provided  for  training 
the  workers. 

AIMS  IN  TEACHER  TRAINING 

The  aims  in  the  training  of  teachers  of  religion  are 
not  different  from  the  aims  in  training  teachers  in  gen- 
eral. The  inclusive  purpose  is  to  develop  right  atti- 
tudes and  ideals,  to  cultivate  intelligent  interests,  to 
impart  fruitful  knowledge  and  to  develop  useful  skills. 
It  is  true  that  the  subject-matter  of  arithmetic  differs 
from  that  of  religion,  and  that  the  aim  in  the  one  case 
is  different  from  that  of  the  other;  but  the  fact«remains 

i6o 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

that  the  teacher's  attitudes  and  ideals,  intelligence  and 
skill  are  equally  important  in  either  case.  These  are 
not  the  result  of  accident.  On  the  contrary,  they  are 
the  product  of  experience  and  training.  A  teacher's 
interest  in  his  work  and  the  value  which  he  attaches  to 
it  determine  in  no  small  measure  the  probability  of  suc- 
cess. The  specific  aims  of  training  teachers  of  religion 
may  be  stated  somewhat  as  follows : 

The  development  of  right  attitudes. — Right  atti- 
tudes toward  one's  work  is  a  matter  of  great  impor- 
tance. The  work  of  teaching  religion  forms  no  excep- 
tion to  the  rule.  In  fact,  the  very  nature  of  the  work 
makes  it  far  more  important  that  interest  and  intelli- 
gence shall  control  than  is  the  case  in  many  other  kinds 
of  work. 

A  person  who  accepts  the  responsibility  of  teaching 
a  Sunday  school  class  merely  from  a  sense  of  duty  to 
the  church  will  not  succeed.  Or  if  this  responsibility 
is  assumed  only  because  no  one  else  can  be  found  to 
take  the  class,  effective  work  is  highly  improbable. 
The  work  should  be  entered  upon  with  full  knowledge 
of  its  significance  and  with  full  appreciation  of  the 
importance  of  success.  Added  to  this  must  be  an  appre- 
ciation of  the  fact  that  success  is  possible  only  when 
the  conditions  are  met  which  are  essential  to  all  ef- 
fective teaching. 

It  is  assumed,  of  course,  that  teachers  of  religion 
must  have  the  religious  attitude  toward  life  and  their 
work.  More  specifically,  the  Christian  attitude  is  abso- 
lutely essential.  But  this  in  itself  is  not  sufficient. 
They  must  possess  what  we  are  accustomed  to  call 
the  professional  attitude.  Whether  teaching  should  be 
regarded  at  present  as  a  profession  is  perhaps  an  open 
question.    It  is  certainly  coming  to  be  regarded  as  a 

i6i 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

highly  specialized  vocation.  The  term  used  to  desig- 
nate the  occupation  of  teaching  is  not  important.  The 
nature  of  the  task,  however,  should  be  fully  understood 
by  all  who  assume  the  responsibility  of  undertaking  to 
perform  it. 

The  word  "professional"  is  useful  as  descriptive  of 
the  attitude  which  teachers  should  assume  toward  their 
work  and  in  preparation  for  it.  This  attitude  is  com- 
plex, consisting  of  two  very  closely  related  attitudes 
which  may  be  designated  as  social  and  scientific.  The 
former  has  to  do  with  the  conception  of  the  social 
meaning  and  importance  of  religious  education.  The 
latter  is  descriptive  of  the  conception  which  teachers 
should  have  of  the  essential  nature  of  educational  pro- 
cedure. 

1.  Teachers  of  religion  must  possess  intelligent  social 
attitudes.  Religious  education  has  a  far  larger  mean- 
ing than  rendering  a  perfunctory  service  to  a  church  to 
which  one  may  happen  to  belong.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
it  is  a  highly  important  social  enterprise.  In  common 
with  other  kinds  of  education  it  is  a  means  of  social 
control.  And  in  comparison  with  certain  other  kinds, 
it  is  far  more  important  in  this  respect.  Teachers  must 
therefore  know  the  social  values  of  education  in  gen- 
eral and  of  religious  education  in  particular.  Social 
demands  must  be  understood  and  evaluated  with  re- 
spect to  the  functions  of  religious  education  in  meet- 
ing these  demands.  Training  is  essential  both  to  a 
proper  understanding  of  the  demands  and  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  how  instruction  may  be  used  to  function  in 
meeting  them. 

2.  Teachers  need  the  scientific  attitude  toward  their 
work.  It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that  teaching 
is  coming  to  be  regarded  as  a  highly  specialized  voca- 

162 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

tion.  A  clearer  conception  of  the  meaning  and  func- 
tion of  education  and  an  increasing  body  of  scientific 
knowledge  concerning  the  needs  and  capacities  of  chil- 
dren has  brought  this  about.  The  person  who  would 
become  a  successful  teacher  should  realize  at  the  outset 
that  success  depends  upon  accurate  knowledge  and  a 
high  degree  of  skill.  Good  intentions  cannot  take  the 
place  of  either. 

This  view  is  fully  accepted  as  related  to  the  physician 
who  ministers  to  the  needs  of  the  body.  It  is  equally 
valid  as  it  relates  to  the  teacher  who  ministers  to  the 
needs  of  the  mind  and  soul.  Both  the  physician  and 
the  teacher  must  consecrate  their  lives  to  the  service 
of  others.  But  service  in  either  case  is  conditioned  by 
knowledge  and  skill.  It  is  not  possible  to  acquire  these 
except  by  persistent,  systematic  effort.  One  who  does 
not  fully  realize  this  is  not  competent  to  enter  upon  the 
high  calling  of  teaching  religion. 

Other  important  objectives  in  teacher  training. — 
These  will  be  discussed  in  detail  in  the  section  dealing 
with  curricula.  Teachers  must  have  a  clear  under- 
standing of  the  aims  of  religious  instruction.  An 
intelligent  use  of  subject-matter  requires  not  only 
academic  knowledge  but  also  an  understanding  of  its 
pedagogical  values.  Teachers  need  thorough  training 
in  the  selection  and  use  of  methods  of  teaching.  They 
must  have  accurate  and  sympathetic  knowledge  of  the 
minds  of  the  learners.  The  development  of  modern 
methods  of  teaching  has  been  made  possible  by  a  con- 
stantly increasing  body  of  scientific  knowledge  con- 
cerning the  needs,  interests,  and  capacities  of  children. 
No  well-informed  person  would  claim  that  knowledge 
in  and  of  itself  insures  success  in  teaching,  but  it  makes 
possible  intelligent  insight,  provides  a  foundation  for 

163 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

fruitful  experience,  and  furnishes  guidance  in  the  de- 
velopment of  skills. 

CURRICULA  FOR  THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

In  planning  courses  the  needs  of  two  classes  of  stu- 
dents should  be  taken  into  account : 

1.  Teachers  in  service  need  opportunity  for  sys- 
tematic study.  Comparatively  few  of  the  teachers  in 
either  Sunday  or  week-day  schools  have  made  definite 
preparation  for  their  work.  Many  teachers  are  inex- 
perienced and  every  effort  should  be  made  to  provide 
opportunity  for  them  to  receive  training.  Experienced 
teachers  also  need  the  stimulus  and  direction  which  can 
be  secured  through  pursuing  systematic  courses  of 
instruction. 

2.  Training  of  prospective  teachers  must  be  pro- 
vided for.  A  considerable  number  of  people  in  every 
community  could  be  enlisted  in  service  if  they  could 
be  given  opportunity  to  prepare  for  the  work.  Courses 
should  be  planned  to  meet  their  particular  needs. 
Keeping  in  mind  the  needs  of  these  two  classes,  train- 
ing schools  will  serve  to  secure  improvement  of  teach- 
ers in  service  and  will  constitute  important  sources  of 
teacher  supply. 

Aims  determine  ctirricula. — The  aims  of  teacher 
training  determine  the  subjects  and  subject  matter  used 
in  instruction.  This  means  that  the  training  of  teachers 
is  governed  by  the  same  general  principle  that  con- 
trols in  education  in  general.  The  application  of  the 
principle  more  particularly  to  the  vocation  or  profes- 
sion of  teaching  is  the  same  as  its  application  to  other 
vocations  or  professions.  Having  the  aims  in  mind, 
subjects  and  subject-matter  are  determined  by  the 
amount  and  kinds  of  knowledge  and  experience  neces- 

164 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

sary  to  realize  these  aims  to  the  fullest  extent  possible. 
Attitudes  and  interests  must  have  their  source  in  intel- 
ligence, and  knowledge  is  required  in  acquiring  skills 
and  in  their  fruitful  use. 

Courses  grouped  under  two  heads. — The  courses 
may  be  conveniently  grouped  under  two  heads,  general 
and  professional. 

1.  General  courses  designed  to  furnish  a  foundation 
in  knowledge  and  in  attitudes  and  interests  are  neces- 
sary to  an  understanding  of  the  more  specialized 
courses.  Thorough  courses  in  the  Bible  and  in  general 
psychology  are  minimum  essentials.  The  former 
should  provide  instruction  in  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Jesus  and  in  the  content  and  spirit  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. These  courses  are  fundamental  in  teacher  train- 
ing not  only  because  the  Bible  is  an  important  source  of 
the  material  used  in  instruction  but  also  because  the 
spirit  of  its  teachings  should  permeate  and  control  all 
religious  instruction. 

Courses  in  psychology  are  necessary  prerequisites  to 
the  more  strictly  professional  courses.  The  knowledge 
gained  is  essential  to  an  understanding  of  the  psycho- 
logical factors  involved  in  all  teaching  and  learning. 
This  knowledge  is  also  necessary  to  a  fruitful  study  of 
the  psychology  of  childhood  and  adolescence,  of  sub- 
ject-matter used  in  instruction,  and  of  methods  of 
teaching.  Without  this  background  any  attempt  to 
acquire  professional  skill  through  a  study  of  specialized 
courses  is  rather  unfruitful. 

2.  Professional  courses  furnish  opportunity  to  se- 
cure the  knowledge,  and  as  far  as  possible  the  experi- 
ence necessary  to  successful  teaching.  Some  such 
classification  of  these  courses  as  the  following  is  use- 
ful: 

165 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

( 1 )  A  course  dealing  with  the  principles  of  religious 
education  should  constitute  an  introduction  to  all  other 
professional  courses.  The  use  of  the  word  "principles" 
as  descriptive  of  this  course  is  quite  general  and  is  so 
used  here  for  that  reason.  The  phrase  "introduction 
to  the  study  of  religious  education,"  however,  is  more 
nearly  descriptive  of  the  nature  of  the  course.  The 
chief  purposes  of  this  fundamental  course  should  be 
to  acquaint  the  student  with  the  aims  of  religious  edu- 
cation, to  give  a  general  knowledge  of  the  means  to  be 
employed,  and  to  provide  opportunity  to  make  a  study 
of  recent  practice  in  this  field. 

(2)  Systematic  knowledge  of  child  and  adolescent 
psychology  is  indispensable  to  successful  teaching. 
Mere  opinion  or  fragmentary  information  cannot  take 
the  place  of  a  scientific  knowledge  of  the  minds  of  those 
whom  we  attempt  to  teach.  That  some  teachers  suc- 
ceed who  have  not  made  a  formal  study  of  psychology 
does  not  alter  the  fact  stated.  Every  successful 
teacher  adapts  instruction,  both  as  to  matter  and 
method,  to  the  mind  of  the  learner,  and  this  is  impos- 
sible without  a  knowledge  of  the  learner's  mind.  The 
most  sure  and  economical  method  of  securing  this 
knowledge  is  by  wisely  directed,  systematic  study.  Far 
less  waste  of  time  and  energy  occurs  if  experience  is 
guided  by  knowledge  than  if  knowledge  has  to  be 
acquired  wholly  by  experience.  Learning  by  experi- 
ence in  this  relation  is  always  necessary.  But  to  ac- 
quire knowledge  by  this  means  without  chart  or  com- 
pass is  a  long  process  and  is  tremendously  expensive 
to  those  whom  we  teach.  The  trial  and  error  method 
in  learning  anything  is  always  productive  of  great 
waste  of  material. 

(3)  Thorough   courses  dealing  with  the  subject- 

166 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

matter  of  religious  instruction  are  necessary.  For 
purposes  of  clearness  in  discussion  two  kinds  or  types 
of  knowledge  to  be  acquired  should  be  designated: 
(a)  academic  knowledge,  that  is,  knowledge  of  the  con- 
tent of  the  subject-matter;  and  (b)  pedagogical  knowl- 
edge, that  is,  a  knowledge  of  the  educative  value  of  the 
subject-matter  to  be  used  in  instruction.  This  dis- 
tinction was  made  in  discussing  one  of  the  aims  of 
teacher  training  and  is  referred  to  here  only  for  the 
purpose  of  making  clear  the  purpose  and  content  of  the 
course  dealing  with  the  curriculum.  The  extent  of  this 
course  should  not  be  limited  to  the  particular  unit  of 
subject-matter,  such  as  first  grade,  second  grade,  and 
so  on;  or  primary,  junior,  intermediate,  if  this  organ- 
ization of  the  school  prevails.  For  example,  a  teacher 
of  the  fourth  grade  needs  to  know  the  material  used  in 
the  preceding  grades  and  also  that  which  will  be  used 
in  the  grades  that  follow.  What  the  child  has  learned 
and  what  he  is  expected  to  learn  both  enter  into  a 
determination  of  what  he  can  learn  with  profit  now. 
The  teacher  who  knows  little  or  nothing  about  what 
has  preceded  or  what  follows  her  own  particular  unit 
of  work  is  at  a  great  disadvantage. 

The  course  in  curriculum  should  give  the  oppor- 
tunity, first  of  all,  to  acquire  a  general  knowledge  of 
the  subject-matter  constituting  the  curriculum  as  a 
whole.  Added  to  this  should  be  a  knowledge  of  the 
principles  governing  in  the  selection  and  organization 
of  the  material  used  in  instruction.  When  this  foun- 
dation is  laid  a  more  intensive  study  of  the  subject- 
matter  constituting  a  particular  unit  should  be  made. 
For  example,  an  intensive  study  of  fourth  grade  mate- 
rial should  follow  a  study  of  the  curriculum  as  a 
whole  and  the  principles  which  govern  in  the  selection 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

and  organization  of  material  in  general.  This  makes 
special  courses  dealing  with  the  various  units  of  the 
curriculum  highly  desirable  where  facilities  are  ade- 
quate for  carrying  out  such  a  plan.  By  means  of 
these  special  courses  the  teachers  become  intimately 
familiar  with  the  particular  units  of  subject-matter 
which  they  teach.  This  secures  the  requisite  detailed 
knowledge  essential  in  making  adaptations  to  the  pecu- 
liar needs  and  capacities  of  pupils  of  different  ages  and 
degrees  of  ability.  Such  knowledge  is  essential  to  suc- 
cessful work. 

(4)  A  course  in  general  method  constitutes  an  im- 
portant factor  in  teacher  training.  A  knowledge  of  the 
aims  and  of  the  material  used  in  instruction  can  be 
intelligently  applied  only  when  the  teacher  has  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  most  fruitful  methods  of  teaching.  This 
course  should  deal  with  the  principles  which  underlie 
all  true  method.  A  knowledge  of  these  principles  and 
their  application  enables  the  teacher  to  discover 
methods  in  the  sources  from  which  they  must  be  de- 
rived. All  methods  of  teaching  have  their  sources  in 
the  aims  to  be  attained,  the  subject-matter  used,  and 
the  mind  of  the  learner.  Those  who  are  preparing  to 
teach  need  training  in  the  formulation  and  use  of 
methods  derived  from  these  sources.  It  need  not  be 
said  that  teachers  of  religion  need  training  in  methods 
of  teaching,  the  same  as  teachers  of  anything  else. 

This  course  in  general  method  furnishes  a  founda- 
tion for  special  method  courses,  and  these  should  be 
provided  where  it  is  possible  to  do  so.  For  example, 
teachers  of  primary  grades  need  to  use  methods  of 
instruction  differing  considerably  from  those  used  by 
the  teachers  of  the  higher  grades.  While  it  is  chiefly 
a  matter  of  adaptation  rather  than  the  use  of  wholly 

168 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

different  methods,  the  ability  to  make  these  adapta- 
tions is  a  matter  of  great  importance.  Differentiated 
courses  for  the  teachers  of  the  respective  departments 
or  grades  of  the  school  is  a  very  fruitful  means  of 
accomplishing  this. 

(5)  Observation  of  classroom  work  and  practice 
teaching  may  be  made  to  constitute  a  very  important 
means  of  teacher  training.  Observation  of  the  work 
of  others,  however,  requires  direction  and  guidance. 
Likewise  practice  teaching  is  apt  to  result  in  very  little 
benefit  unless  the  cadet  works  under  careful  supervi- 
sion. Whether  a  separate  course  should  be  offered  or 
the  work  made  an  integral  part  of  one  or  more  of  the 
courses  in  method  is  not  of  first  importance.  The 
important  thing  is  to  give  prospective  teachers  oppor- 
tunity to  observe  competent  teachers  at  work  and  to 
teach  pupils  under  proper  guidance  and  direction. 

This  cannot  be  accomplished  alone  by  observing  the 
work  in  the  classroom.  The  work  must  be  on  a  basis 
of  organised  teaching  and  learning,  the  classroom  fur- 
nishing the  laboratory  facilities.  The  laboratory  work 
must  be  adequately  supplemented  by  instruction  in 
methods  of  observation  and  teaching  and  by  exercises 
calling  for  evaluation  of  the  work  observed  and  its 
results.  Unless  this  is  done,  observation  will  result  in 
an  imitation  of  the  weaknesses  as  well  as  the  points  of 
strength  in  the  work  of  the  teacher  being  observed. 
Practice  teaching  unless  thus  supplemented  will  result 
in  a  repetition  of  mistakes  made  by  the  cadets  and  in 
fixing  wrong  habits  of  procedure.  In  a  word,  observa- 
tion and  practice  teaching  serve  useful  purposes  if 
properly  safeguarded,  otherwise  the  advisability  of 
their  use  in  teacher  training  is  extremely  doubtful.  The 
use  of  this  means  of  teacher  training  is  discussed  in 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

further  detail  in  connection  with  supervision  treated 
in  the  next  chapter. 

ORGANIZED   MEANS  OF  TEACHER  TRAINING 

The  facilities  for  training  administrators  and  teach- 
ers in  the  field  of  religious  education  are  wholly  inade- 
quate at  present.  Until  recently  the  actual  demand  for 
trained  workers  has  been  limited.  A  good  deal  has 
been  said  and  written  concerning  the  importance  of 
the  training  of  leaders,  but  these  general  discussions 
accomplished  but  little  by  way  of  creating  a  real  de- 
mand, which  in  turn  would  have  resulted  in  increasing 
training  facilities.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the 
actual  demands  for  trained  workers  now  coming  from 
every  part  of  the  country  in  constantly  increasing  num- 
bers cannot  be  supplied.  One  of  the  most  important 
tasks  confronting  the  church  is  to  provide  adequate 
facilities  for  training.  The  performance  of  this  funda- 
mental task  far  more  completely  than  it  is  now  being 
performed  is  absolutely  essential  to  any  adequate  ex- 
tension of  the  educational  influence  of  the  church. 

Extension  and  improvement  of  organized  means. — 
In  Chapter  IV  it  was  pointed  out  that  teacher  training 
must  form  an  integral  part  of  the  program  of  religious 
education.  This  calls  for  a  reorganization  of  existing 
agencies  to  provide  for  the  larger  program.  The 
development  of  schools  for  teachers  must  keep  pace 
with  the  development  of  schools  for  children.  Reor- 
ganization of  Sunday  schools  and  the  establishment 
of  week-day  schools  call  for  similar  attention  and 
effort  to  provide  adequately  trained  administrators  and 
teachers  for  these  schools. 

Higher  institutions. — Denominational  higher  insti- 
tutions must  assume  large  responsibility.    The  impor- 

170 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

tance  of  the  functions  which  these  institutions  should 
perform  requires  fuller  treatment  than  the  limits  of 
the  present  chapter  will  allow.  Detailed  treatment  is 
accorded  the  subject  in  Chapter  XL  Other  means  of 
training  are  necessary,  but  the  universities  and  colleges 
of  the  church  must  assume  a  large  share  of  responsi- 
bility in  providing  facilities  for  training  for  the  voca- 
tions of  the  church. 

Local  training  schools. — Facilities  for  training 
must  be  made  available  for  all.  In  order  to  accom- 
plish this,  schools  will  have  to  be  established  within 
the  reach  of  all.  It  is  hoped  that  many  young  people 
who  attend  higher  institutions  will  choose  their  courses 
with  respect  to  preparing  for  religious  educational 
work.  Every  encouragement  should  be  given  young 
men  and  women  to  do  this.  For  the  immediate  pres- 
ent, however,  other  agencies  will  have  to  be  relied  upon 
chiefly  to  supply  workers.  Local  training  schools  of 
one  kind  or  another  will  supply  the  need,  and  they 
will  always  constitute  an  important  agency  in  the 
training  of  workers. 

Local  training  schools  are  essential  in  any  adequate 
teacher  training  program.  There  are  two  reasons  for 
this: 

I.  These  schools  will  furnish  the  only  means  of  train- 
ing for  many  of  the  workers.  Sunday-school  teach- 
ing is  an  avocation  and  will  probably  remain  so  for  a 
considerable  time  at  least.  In  the  very  nature  of  the 
case  young  people  cannot  be  expected  in  any  consider- 
able number  to  receive  their  preparation  for  this  work 
in  higher  institutions.  The  time  and  expense  involved 
makes  any  such  plan  highly  improbable.  Opportunity 
for  making  preparation  will  have  to  be  made  easily 
available. 

171 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

2.  This  type  of  school  is  necessary  to  provide  for 
training  in  service.  Administrators  and  teachers, 
whether  doing  their  work  as  a  vocation  or  as  an  avoca- 
tion, need  to  continue  a  systematic  study  of  their  prob- 
lems under  proper  guidance  and  direction.  The  only 
way  to  make  this  work  effective  is  by  means  of  an 
organized  school  readily  accessible  to  all  the  workers 
in  any  given  church  or  community. 

The  particular  kind  of  organization  and  the  extent 
and  nature  of  the  program  will  have  to  be  determined 
by  local  needs  and  conditions.  Many  churches  are  now 
attempting  to  provide  opportunities  for  both  classes 
mentioned  above.  In  a  few  instances  the  churches  of 
a  community  are  uniting  in  maintaining  a  single  school. 
In  a  far  larger  number  of  cases,  each  individual 
church  is  attempting  to  provide  for  its  own  workers. 
No  general  rule  can  be  laid  down  concerning  the  plan 
of  organization  and  administration  of  local  training 
schools.  Local  conditions  must  be  taken  fully  into  ac- 
count and  details  worked  out  in  accordance  with  these 
conditions. 

Commtinity  training  schools. — A  community 
school  has  certain  inherent  advantages  over  schools 
maintained  by  individual  churches. 

1.  It  has  the  advantage  of  being  more  easily 
financed.  It  is  far  more  economical  for  all  the  churches 
of  a  community  to  unite  in  maintaining  one  school  than 
for  each  church  to  maintain  its  own  school.  A  single 
school  can  provide  the  same  range  of  courses  with  less 
teaching  force  than  can  several  schools.  Outlay  for 
equipment,  light,  heat,  and  janitor  service  will  be  much 
less. 

2.  A  community  school  has  the  distinct  advantage 
of  a  larger  number  of  students.     For  example,  if  one 

172 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

hundred  is  the  total  enrollment,  it  is  much  better  to 
have  this  number  assembled  in  one  school  than  to  have 
the  students  distributed  among  a  number  of  schools. 
The  advantages  of  the  former  plan  are  obvious.  A 
wider  range  of  courses  is  possible.  Even  if  a  single 
church  having  twenty-five  or  thirty  students  can  finance 
an  extensive  program,  the  small  enrollment  will  limit 
the  number  of  courses.  Successful  class  work  is  very 
difficult,  if  not  quite  impossible,  with  an  enrollment  of 
three  or  four  students.  For  example,  classes  in  depart- 
mental work  cannot  be  maintained  in  a  church  school 
unless  the  number  of  teachers  is  much  larger  than  is 
usually  the  case. 

If,  however,  these  teachers  from  the  several  depart- 
ments of  the  various  church  schools  are  enrolled  in  a 
single  training  school,  classes  of  sufficient  size  to  do 
good  work  can  be  provided.  Another  distinct  advan- 
tage in  the  community  school  is  that  numbers  generate 
enthusiasm.  This  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  to 
all  those  who  are  familiar  with  cooperative  social 
groups.  It  is  certainly  true  in  a  marked  degree  of 
student  groups.  A  small  group  is  very  liable  to  disin- 
tegrate and  almost  invariably  lacks  enthusiasm  while 
it  lasts.  This  is  not  only  true  of  class  groups  but  of 
the  student  body  as  a  whole. 

3.  A  very  potent  advantage  of  the  community  train- 
ing school  is  that  it  provides  opportunity  for  effective 
cooperation  of  all  the  religious  forces  in  a  community. 
The  school  is  an  objective  evidence  of  unified  effort, 
and  its  influence  in  this  respect  upon  the  community  as 
a  whole  is  a  matter  of  a  good  deal  of  importance.  The 
influence  of  these  schools  where  established  in  unifying 
the  religious  forces  of  a  community  is  very  marked. 

4.  It  should  be  said  finally  that  a  community  training 

173 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

school  is  quite  indispensable  if  community  week-day 
schools  are  maintained.  Those  who  are  preparing  to 
teach  in  these  schools  cannot  receive  their  training  in 
schools  maintained  by  the  various  churches,  granted 
that  each  church  could  provide  an  adequate  program. 
Neither  can  teachers  in  week-day  schools  receive  their 
training  while  in  service  except  in  a  school  maintained 
by  the  same  cooperative  body  that  maintains  the  week- 
day schools. 

As  already  pointed  out,  the  extent  and  character  of 
the  program  of  a  community  training  school  will  be 
determined  by  the  needs  and  conditions  of  the  com- 
munity. It  is  not  possible,  therefore,  to  outline  a  pro- 
gram in  any  detail  which  would  be  suitable  for  use  in 
a  particular  community.  The  aims  of  teacher  training 
have  been  discussed  and  the  range  of  courses  indicated 
in  previous  sections  of  this  chapter.  These  will  serve 
in  a  general  way  as  suggestions  in  formulating  a  pro- 
gram. It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  all  the  courses 
indicated  can  be  offered  by  every  community  school. 
Selection  will  have  to  be  made  on  a  basis  of  the  courses 
most  needed  and  which  can  be  provided  taking  into 
account  the  limitations  as  to  faculty  and  equipment 
under  which  the  school  must  carry  on  its  work. 

The  organization  for  instituting  and  maintaining 
community  training  schools  was  discussed  in  some  de- 
tail in  Chapter  IV.  Examples  were  given  there  of  the 
organizations  in  two  communities  for  carrying  on 
week-day  instruction.  In  both  of  these  communities 
training  schools  were  instituted  and  maintained  by 
these  organizations.  In  each  case  the  Board  of  Reli- 
gious Education  was  responsible  for  the  organization 
and  administration  of  the  school.  The  program  of 
each  of  these  schools  is  briefly  indicated  below. 

174 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 


EXAMPLES    OF    TRAINING    SCHOOLS 

The  Calumet  District  Board  maintained  a  school  at 
East  Chicago  during  the  spring  of  1920.  The  length 
of  term  was  eight  weeks,  the  classes  meeting  on  Friday 
evening  of  each  week.  The  school  was  conducted  in 
one  of  the  public  school  buildings.  The  time  schedule 
was  as  follows:  7:20-8:15,  class  period;  8:15-8:40, 
assembly  and  devotional  exercises;  8:40-9:25,  class 
period.  The  following  limited  range  of  courses  was 
offered:  Old  Testament  History,  Life  of  Jesus,  Ele- 
mentary Psychology,  Aims  of  Religious  Education, 
Methods  of  Teaching,  and  Organization  and  Ad- 
ministration of  Sunday  Schools.  The  classes  were 
so  arranged,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
time  schedule,  that  each  student  could  enroll  for  two 
courses. 

The  Board  continued  this  work  during  the  school 
year  1920-21.  In  order  to  accommodate  the  students, 
three  schools  were  maintained  at  different  places  in 
the  district,  instead  of  having  one  central  school.  The 
work  continued  for  two  terms  of  eight  weeks  each. 
The  schedule  remained  practically  the  same  with  minor 
modifications  in  the  courses  offered. 

The  Evanston  Training  School  is  another  exam- 
ple of  a  successful  community  school.  A  three-year 
program  is  provided.  The  school  opened  in  January, 
1920,  and  covered  the  work  of  only  one  term  of 
twelve  weeks.  The  time  schedule  was  practically  the 
same  as  the  one  used  in  East  Chicago.  The  program, 
however,  provided  a  much  wider  range  of  courses. 
Those  listed  last  year  were  divided  into  three  groups 
as  follows: 

I.  Biblical:   The  Life   of  Jesus;  *01d  Testament 

175 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

History^;  Prophets  and  Their  Messages;  *The  Apos- 
tolic Age. 

2.  Departmental:  *Beginners  (Kindergarten); 
Primary  Methods ;  The  Junior  Child  and  His  World ; 
Intermediate-Senior;  *  Young  People. 

3.  Professional:  Organization  and  Supervision  of 
the  Church  School;  Method  in  Teaching  Religion; 
Childhood  Religion;  Religious  Education  of  Ado- 
lescents; *  Stories  and  Story  Telling;  Psychology  and 
the  Daily  Life;  Standards  in  Social  Service. 

Church  school  may  supplement  community  school. 
— The  community  school  does  not  necessarily  supplant 
the  church  training  school.  Each  church  is  still  left 
free  to  maintain  its  own  school.  Its  work,  however, 
should  supplement,  not  duplicate,  the  work  of  the  com- 
munity school.  If  the  churches  maintain  a  common 
week-day  program,  carried  on  either  by  individual 
church  schools  or  community  schools,  the  teacher- 
training  work  should  be  taken  care  of  by  the  com- 
munity school.  The  function  of  each  church  training 
school  is  to  provide  instruction  in  the  doctrines,  sacra- 
ments, and  modes  of  worship  peculiar  to  that  church. 
That  is  to  say,  the  Sunday-school  teachers  should  be 
trained  by  each  church  in  the  use  of  subject-matter 
peculiar  to  the  curriculum  of  its  own  Sunday  school. 
This  constitutes  but  a  small  part  of  any  adequate 
teacher-training  program,  but  it  is  a  necessary  part  and 
should  not  be  neglected. 

Coordinating  the  work. —  A  satisfactory  coordina- 
tion of  a  community  training  school  with  that  of  the 
church  school  is  a  matter  of  the  proper  division  of 
labor.     The  former  should  provide  for  fundamental 

»Courses  marked  thus  (*)  were   not   offered  last   year,  but   are  Included  in  the 
curriciilum  which  is  now  being  put  in  final  form. 

176 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

courses  in  Bible,  general  psychology,  child  and  ado- 
lescent psychology,  principles  and  aims ;  methods,  gen- 
eral and  special;  week-day  curricula,  the  common  ele- 
ments in  Sunday-school  curricula,  organization  and 
administration,  and  the  like.  These  courses  rightly  con- 
ceived constitute  the  major  part  of  the  training  neces- 
sary for  Sunday-school  workers.  This  leaves  to  each 
church  the  task  of  providing  such  additional  training 
as  is  needed  to  meet  the  peculiar  requirements  of  its 
own  teachers. 

Church  schools  as  the  only  means  of  teacher 
training. — Church  schools  frequently  constitute  the 
only  available  means  of  teacher  training.  Many 
churches  are  now  maintaining  such  schools  of  one 
kind  or  another.  A  church  having  a  large  number  of 
workers  can  successfully  maintain  a  training  school  if 
it  so  desires.  The  enrollment  is  large  enough  to  make 
possible  an  adequate  program  and  the  school  can  be 
properly  financed.  In  such  a  case  the  program  should 
be  very  similar  to  that  of  a  community  school  plus  the 
special  courses  referred  to  in  the  preceding  paragraph. 
It  should  be  said,  however,  that  comparatively  few 
churches  are  able  to  provide  adequate  facilities  for 
training  their  educational  workers.  The  limitation  as 
to  number  and  in  financial  ability  makes  the  task  a  very 
difficult  one. 

The  imperative  necessity  of  providing  some  organ- 
ized means  of  teacher  training  does  not  permit  any 
summary  dismissal  of  the  present  topic.  For  the  pres- 
ent, at  least,  many  churches  will  find  it  necessary  to 
train  their  teachers  in  their  own  schools,  and  they 
should  set  themselves  courageously  to  the  task.  In  the 
smaller  churches  the  program  will  be  very  limited,  but 
it  can  be  made  vital  if  properly  conceived  and  car- 

177 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

ried  out.  Reducing  the  essentials  to  the  minimum, 
teachers  must  have  clearly  defined  aims  in  their  work, 
know  the  subject-matter  used  in  instruction,  and  use 
the  most  fruitful  methods  in  teaching.  These  funda- 
mental needs  of  teachers  suggest  the  nature  of  a  pro- 
gram, however  limited  it  may  be.  If  the  program  has 
to  be  meager,  it  is  all  the  more  necessary  that  effort  be 
concentrated  upon  doing  that  which  needs  to  be  done 
most. 

A  time  schedule  somewhat  similar  to  the  one  indi- 
cated for  the  community  school  is  desirable.  Class 
work  should  be  planned  which  requires  definite  prepar- 
ation on  the  part  of  students  and  which  provides  for 
recitation  and  discussion.  The  work  in  this  school, 
although  the  enrollment  may  be  small  and  the  num- 
ber of  courses  very  limited,  should  be  carefully  planned 
and  directed  by  competent  leadership.  If  those  en- 
rolled, including  both  teachers  and  prospective  teach- 
ers, are  willing  to  devote  sufficient  time  and  effort  to  the 
task,  a  good  deal  can  be  accomplished  in  securing  better 
preparation  for  their  work. 

Teachers*  meetings. — These  meetings  constitute 
the  simplest  form  of  organization  and  may  differ  but 
little  from  an  organization  which  we  call  a  training 
school.  In  fact,  the  line  of  demarcation  is  not  clearly 
defined  in  many  cases  and  it  is  difficult  to  make  any 
clear  distinction  between  the  two  forms  of  organiza- 
tion. The  purposes  of  each  are  obviously  the  same, 
and  each  represents  an  organized  effort  to  provide 
training  for  prospective  teachers  and  those  already  in 
service.  No  real  purpose  is  served,  perhaps,  by  the 
use  of  the  term  teachers'  meetings  in  this  connection. 
But  it  is  in  common  use  to  designate  the  more  in- 
formal kind  of  organization,  and  cannot,  therefore, 

178 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

be  left  out  of  consideration  in  the  present  discus- 
sion. 

The  success  of  teachers'  meetings  depends  upon  the 
same  factors  as  determine  the  success  of  the  training 
school.  These  are  a  definitely  planned  program,  careful 
preparation  on  the  part  of  those  enrolled,  and  compe- 
tent leadership.  The  program  should  provide  oppor- 
tunity for  discussion  of  the  problems  arising  in  the 
work  of  the  classroom.  But  a  regular  order  of  pro- 
cedure should  be  followed  so  as  to  avoid  waste  of  time 
and  to  prevent  the  meetings  from  degenerating  into 
profitless  discussion.  Part  of  the  time  of  every  meet- 
ing should  be  devoted  to  carrying  out  a  prearranged 
program  of  instruction. 

Definitely  planned  reading  courses. — The  first 
essential  of  the  success  of  these  courses  is  competent 
supervision.  This  extends  to  the  selection  of  the  mate- 
rial, direction  in  carrying  on  the  work,  and  a  definite 
system  of  checking  up  on  results.  Teachers'  reading 
circles  have  proved  successful  only  when  careful 
supervision  has  been  exercised.  These  reading  courses 
may  well  be  combined  with  teachers'  meetings.  Where 
group  direction  of  this  sort  is  not  possible  individuals 
could  receive  assistance  through  enrollment  in  corre- 
spondence courses  conducted  by  Sunday  school  boards 
or  higher  institutions  which  maintain  departments  of 
religious  education. 

Occasional  meetings  and  conferences. — These 
are  conducted  from  time  to  time  by  various  agencies 
and  serve  a  useful  purpose.  They  cannot  take  the 
place  of  regular  courses  of  instruction  and  are  not 
designed  to  do  so.  Their  purpose  is  both  informational 
and  inspirational,  but  they  can  accomplish  little  unless 
foundations  are  provided  by  other  agencies.    A  confer- 

179 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

ence  held  once  a  year  extending  over  two  or  three 
days,  or  even  a  week  or  ten  days  cannot  be  depended 
upon  except  as  a  supplemental  agency  in  the  gaining 
of  teachers. 

Summer  schools  and  teacher  training  institutes. — 
Higher  institutions  in  increasing  number  are  offering 
summer  courses  in  religious  education.  The  sessions 
vary  in  length  from  six  to  twelve  weeks  and  academic 
credit  is  given  for  the  work.  Many  who  would  not 
be  able  to  attend  during  the  regular  academic  year 
thus  find  it  possible  to  spend  a  few  weeks  each  year 
in  the  stimulating  environment  of  a  college  or  uni- 
versity. The  constantly  increasing  enrollment  in  these 
schools  affords  abundant  testimony  of  the  growing  ap- 
preciation of  their  value. 

The  teachers'  training  institutes  maintained  by  the 
various  denominational  boards  are  making  a  very  val- 
uable contribution.  They  differ  from  the  schools  above 
mentioned  in  length  of  session  and  in  details  of  pro- 
gram provided.  The  length  of  session  varies  from  one 
to  two  or  three  weeks  and  instruction  is  somewhat 
less  formal.  They  are  held  more  or  less  throughout 
the  year,  but  usually  during  the  summer.  While  the 
work  done  in  these  is  not  a  substitute  for  the  work 
done  by  the  regularly  organized  schools,  it  is  highly 
important  and  should  receive  every  encouragement. 

Systematic  supervision. — The  only  point  for  con- 
sideration here  is  that  one  important  function  of  super- 
vision is  to  secure  improvement  on  the  part  of  teach- 
ers. Systematic  investigations  of  the  work  of  public- 
school  teachers  reveal  that  many  teachers  not  only  do 
not  improve  in  service  but  actually  deteriorate  when 
not  properly  supervised.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  very 
clearly  shown  that  competent  supervision  is  one  of  the 

i8o 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

most  fruitful  means  of  increasing  the  efficiency  of 
teachers.  Discussion  of  the  aims,  principles  involved, 
and  technique  of  supervision  is  reserved  for  the  next 
chapter. 

ORGANIZATION,     ADMINISTRATION,     AND     SUPERVISION 
OF  TRAINING   SCHOOLS 

The  first  essential  is,  of  course,  a  competent  faculty. 
Instructors  should  be  chosen  with  special  reference  to 
their  qualifications  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  students, 
and  their  needs  are  of  the  practical  sort.  For  exam- 
ple, courses  in  Bible  should  not  be  designed  primarily 
for  critical  study,  but,  rather,  to  provide  for  the  fruit- 
ful use  of  the  Bible  in  teaching  children  and  youth. 
Technical  courses  in  psychology  should  be  avoided. 
The  same  principle  should  control  in  all  other  courses. 
It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that  instructors  be  governed 
by  the  educational  point  of  view.  The  successful  train- 
ing of  teachers  requires  that  those  who  train  them  keep 
in  mind  their  needs  as  related  to  their  work  in  Sunday 
and  week-day  schools. 

Lack  of  trained  workers. — One  of  the  difficulties  in 
maintaining  training  schools  is  to  secure  competent 
persons  to  carry  on  the  work.  The  demand  for  this 
class  of  workers  is  so  recent  that  the  supply  of  those 
specifically  trained  is  very  limited.  Until  this  supply 
is  more  nearly  adequate,  selection  will  have  to  be  made 
largely  on  a  basis  of  ability  to  adapt  general  training 
to  the  particular  needs  of  those  who  teach  in  Sunday 
and  week-day  schools.  The  following  classes  of  per- 
sons constitute  the  chief  sources  of  supply  for  training 
school  work :  ( i )  The  ministers  in  the  various  churches 
of  the  community;  (2)  directors  of  religious  educa- 
tion; (3)  Sunday-school  teachers  of  training  and  expe- 

181 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

rience;  (4)  public-school  administrators  and  teachers. 
In  case  a  college  or  university  is  located  in  a  com- 
munity or  at  a  convenient  distance,  this  will  afford  an 
important  source  of  supply  of  competent  workers. 

Direction  of  the  work. —  The  work  of  a  training 
school,  like  that  of  any  other  school,  requires  proper 
guidance  and  direction.  As  stated  in  another  connection, 
the  school  should  be  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Board  of  Religious  Education.  Its  executive  officer, 
or  some  other  competent  person,  should  have  direct 
charge  of  the  school.  He  should  prepare  the  program, 
select  the  faculty,  and  supervise  the  work,  subject  to 
the  approval  of  the  Board.  It  is  important  that  def- 
inite plans  and  policies  be  formulated  and  carried  out. 
Syllabi  of  courses  should  be  made  out  in  advance  by 
the  instructors  and  submitted  to  the  executive  officer 
of  the  school  for  such  revisions  as  may  be  necessary. 
If  a  conference  can  be  held  with  the  instructors  prior 
to  the  opening  of  the  school,  it  is  helpful  in  making 
clear  the  definite  purposes  of  the  various  courses  and 
in  unifying  the  work.  Conferences  held  from  time  to 
time  during  the  school  term  are  also  advisable.  In 
this  way  each  instructor  may  keep  in  touch  with  the 
work  as  a  whole,  and  will  thus  be  able  to  make  his 
particular  contribution  more  successfully. 

Viewing  the  work  of  the  school  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  students,  courses  should  be  arranged  in  proper 
sequence.  For  example,  courses  which  are  intended  as 
prerequisite  to  other  courses  should  be  so  designated 
in  the  program.  The  proper  arrangement  of  courses, 
however,  is  not  enough.  Students  need  direction  in 
making  selections.  Their  interests,  needs,  and  abilities 
should  be  ascertained  and  assignments  made  accord- 
ingly.   A  program,  however  well  calculated  it  may  be 

182 


THE  TRAINING  OF  TEACHERS 

to  meet  the  needs  of  the  various  classes  of  teachers  and 
prospective  teachers,  will  not  accomplish  its  purpose 
unless  a  proper  selection  of  work  is  secured. 

Proper  standards. — One  of  the  most  important  fac- 
tors in  the  success  of  a  training  school  is  the  main- 
tenance of  proper  standards.  Regularity  and 
punctuality  in  attendance  are  absolutely  essential.  At 
the  very  outset  it  should  be  understood  that  enrollment 
carries  with  it  the  obligation  to  attend  regularly  and 
punctually.  Those  who  will  not  assume  the  obligation 
should  be  dropped  from  the  rolls.  Accurate  records 
should  be  kept  and  delinquent  cases  given  prompt  at- 
tention. The  same  standards  should  be  maintained  in 
this  respect  as  are  found  in  any  well-regulated  school. 

The  establishment  and  maintenance  of  academic 
standards  is  no  less  important.  It  has  been  found  help- 
ful in  doing  this  to  provide  for  three  classes  of  per- 
sons: (i)  Those  who  desire  to  visit  the  school  from 
time  to  time  but  are  not  able  to  attend  regularly.  These 
may  be  called  visitors.  They  should  be  required  to  en- 
roll on  cards  provided  for  that  purpose,  and  a  record 
should  be  kept  of  their  attendance.  It  should  be  under- 
stood that  frequent  visiting  is  to  be  discouraged.  If 
a  person  desires  to  receive  the  benefits  of  the  school,  a 
more  permanent  relationship  should  be  established. 
(2)  Persons  who  desire  to  attend  regularly,  but  are 
not  able  to  make  definite  preparation  for  the  work. 
It  is  customary  in  some  schools  to  call  these  auditors. 
They  are  expected  to  attend  regularly  and  promptly 
and  to  assume  all  other  obligations  except  that  of  car- 
rying out  a  systematic  program  of  study.  (3)  The 
third  class  is  composed  of  students.  Definite  assign- 
ments of  work  are  made  and  lessons  are  regularly  pre- 
pared.   It  is  in  connection  with  this  work  that  academic 

183 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

standards  must  be  established  and  maintained.  Fre- 
quent tests  should  be  given  and  examinations  of  a  more 
formal  nature  held  at  the  close  of  the  term.  Chief  reli- 
ance has  to  be  placed  upon  the  students  to  give  char- 
acter  and   permanency   to   the   work   of   the   school. 

Permanent  success  of  a  school  is  very  doubtful  if 
the  first  two  classes  mentioned  are  relatively  large. 
It  is  difficult  to  secure  regular  and  punctual  attendance 
and  neither  class  makes  any  contribution  in  estab- 
lishing and  maintaining  academic  standards.  There  are 
some  in  every  community  who  are  vitally  interested  in 
the  work  of  a  training  school  but  who  do  not  have  the 
time  to  devote  to  systematic  study.  These  should  be 
encouraged  to  attend  as  auditors.  But  the  fact  still 
remains  that  those  who  make  no  preparation  for  the 
classroom  work  also  get  comparatively  little  out  of  it. 
If  they  constitute  a  majority  in  a  class,  or  even  a  con- 
siderable number,  the  morale  of  the  class  suffers. 
Every  effort  should  be  made,  therefore,  to  impress 
upon  all  those  who  enroll  the  importance  of  doing  sys- 
tematic work. 

It  should  be  said  in  conclusion  that  teacher  training, 
whatever  may  be  the  form  of  organization,  requires 
careful  and  systematic  supervision.  Programs  will  not 
work  automatically.  Many  details  require  painstaking 
attention.  These  cannot  be  left  to  the  individual  in- 
structors. Some  one  person  who  possesses  adequate 
training  and  who  can  devote  the  necessary  time  to  the 
task  should  be  responsible.  Only  in  this  way  can  fruit- 
ful results  be  secured  and  the  work  be  placed  on  a 
permanent  basis. 


184 


CHAPTER  IX 

SELECTION  AND  SUPERVISION  OF 
TEACHERS 

The  importance  and  means  of  training  teachers 
have  been  discussed  in  the  preceding  chapter.  The 
problems  of  their  selection  and  supervision  are  now 
to  be  considered.  In  the  field  of  public-school  educa- 
tion definite  standards  have  been  worked  out  for  select- 
ing teachers.  Principles  and  methods  of  supervision 
are  also  being  applied.  The  standards  and  technique 
cannot,  of  course,  be  applied  without  modification. 
But  they  can  by  proper  adaptation  be  made  to  serve  the 
interests  of  religious  education  in  far  larger  measure 
than  is  now  the  case. 

THE  TASK  OF  SELECTING  TEACHERS 

The  task  of  selecting  teachers  is  one  of  the  most 
important  functions  connected  with  school  organiza- 
tion and  administration.  The  success  of  instruction 
depends  finally  in  large  measure  upon  the  personality 
and  academic  and  professional  fitness  of  those  who 
teach.  This  is  so  fully  recognized  in  educational  cir- 
cles in  general  that  certain  definite  safeguards  against 
the  employment  of  incompetent  teachers  have  been  pro- 
vided.   These  may  be  classed  under  two  general  heads. 

Definite  standards  in  determining  qualifications. — 
These  have  in  part  been  implied  in  the  discussion  of  the 
training  of  teachers  in  the  previous  chapter.     The 

185 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

standards  are  designed  to  determine  the  fitness  of  ap- 
plicants from  three  points  of  view:  (i)  Personal  char- 
acteristics, (2)  academic  preparation,  and  (3)  profes- 
sional training.  The  criteria  used  in  judging  qualifica- 
tions are,  of  course,  not  arbitrarily  determined.  They 
have  gradually  evolved  out  of  the  increasing  impor- 
tance attached  to  education  and  a  better  understanding 
of  the  processes  of  teaching  and  learning.  Much  has 
been  accomplished  in  securing  useful  standards  by  sys- 
tematic observation  of  teachers  at  work.  Their  suc- 
cesses and  failures  are  noted  and  attempts  made  to 
connect  these  with  their  causes  in  so  far  as  they  are  to 
be  found  in  the  teachers  themselves.  Score  cards  have 
been  prepared  on  a  basis  of  these  observations  for  use 
in  the  employment  of  teachers  to  determine  as  accur- 
ately as  possible  what  degree  of  success  may  be  ex- 
pected. 

Application  of  standards. — Persons  who  select  teach- 
ers should  be  fitted  by  training  and  experience  to  apply 
the  standards  intelligently.  It  is  obvious,  of  course, 
that  a  person  who  has  no  knowledge  of  the  necessary 
qualifications  or  who  does  not  know  how  to  discover 
whether  or  not  the  applicant  possesses  them,  is  not 
fitted  to  select  teachers.  It  is  true  that  some  people 
possess  greater  natural  ability  than  others  in  the  mat- 
ter of  selecting  teachers.  This  is  equally  true  with 
respect  to  selecting  workers  of  all  kinds.  In  any  case 
accurate  judgment  depends  upon  a  knowledge  of  two 
things :  ( i )  The  nature  of  the  work  to  be  done  and 
(2)  the  qualifications  required  on  the  part  of  those  who 
are  responsible  for  the  success  of  the  work.  In  the  se- 
lection of  teachers  the  person  who  performs  this  task 
must  understand  education  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
teaching  and  learning  processes.     He  must  know  the 

186 


SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

qualifications  necessary  to  success  in  teaching  and  be 
able  to  discover  and  evaluate  these  in  performing  the 
task  of  selecting  teachers. 

It  need  not  be  said  that  the  selection  of  teachers  for 
Sunday  and  week-day  schools  is  governed  by  the  same 
fundamental  considerations  as  those  which  obtain  in 
the  selection  of  teachers  in  general.  Teaching  corps 
cannot  be  constituted  by  accident  if  any  appreciable 
degree  of  success  is  expected.  Children  enrolled  in 
classes  for  religious  instruction  have  the  same  right  to 
have  their  teachers  selected  with  care  and  intelligence 
as  in  the  case  of  the  public  school.  If  teachers  cannot 
be  secured  for  the  Sunday  schools  who  measure  up  in 
all  cases  to  the  standards  established,  we  shall  have 
to  make  the  best  of  the  situation  for  the  present.  But 
this  does  not  mean  that  every  effort  should  not  be  made 
to  secure  teachers  who  are  at  least  the  best  obtainable. 

Practical  difficulties  involved. — There  are  certain 
practical  difficulties  which  have  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count, especially  in  securing  Sunday-school  teachers. 
The  source  of  the  supply  at  present  is  limited  to  the 
community  in  which  the  school  is  located  and  in  a  vast 
majority  of  cases  to  the  denomination  maintaining  the 
school.  This  often  makes  it  extremely  difficult  to 
secure  a  sufficient  number  of  teachers  to  carry  on  the 
work  of  the  school.  The  most  obvious  remedy  for 
this  situation  is  to  increase  the  supply,  and  this  is  pre- 
cisely what  has  to  be  done.  This  has  already  been 
discussed  in  the  previous  chapter. 

The  point  of  emphasis  here  is  that  one  method  of 
increasing  the  supply  is  to  discover  to  the  last  person 
every  one  whose  interest  may  be  enlisted  in  teaching 
a  Sunday-school  class.  If  a  careful  census  were  taken 
in  many  communities  it  would  reveal  a  much  larger 

187 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

potential  supply  of  teachers  than  is  now  even  thought 
possible.  Some  of  these  will  be  found  to  be  former 
Sunday  or  public-school  teachers.  Others  may  not 
have  had  such  experience  but  by  a  course  of  training 
and  careful  supervision  will  be  able  to  render  effective 
service.  Very  few  typical  American  communities 
lack  a  potential  supply,  at  least,  of  people  who  by  proper 
training  and  supervision  will  make  successful  teachers. 

QUALIFICATIONS  OF  TEACHERS 

The  qualifications  of  teachers  have  already  been  dis- 
cussed by  implication  in  Chapter  VIII.  To  train 
teachers  successfully  means  that  those  who  plan  and 
administer  the  work  must  know  what  qualifications  are 
necessary  and  how  to  develop  them  by  means  of  train- 
ing. The  aims  governing  in  the  selection  of  curricula 
indicate  what  these  qualifications  are.  Certain  of  these 
are  fundamental  to  successful  teaching  of  any  kind. 

Special  qualifications. — In  addition  to  these,  there 
are  certain  special  qualifications  which  are  absolutely 
essential  in  the  teaching  of  religion.  The  qualifications 
of  teachers  either  for  Sunday  or  week-day  schools  may 
be  summed  up  briefly  as  follows :  ( i )  From  the  stand- 
point of  academic  and  professional  preparation  and 
that  of  experience,  teachers  in  these  schools  should  be 
as  well  qualified  as  the  best  teachers  in  the  public 
schools.  (2)  Anyone  employed  to  teach  religion  should 
possess  a  vital  religious  life.  In  addition  to  this  per- 
sonal religious  experience  they  should  have  an  abiding, 
intelligent  interest  in  this  form  of  Christian  service 
and  have  special  academic  and  professional  prepara- 
tion for  it.  Boards  of  Religious  Education  whether 
of  the  community  or  of  individual  churches  wherever 

188 


SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

possible  should  secure  teachers  who  have  had  experi- 
ence in  religious  education  and  other  lines  of  religious 
work. 

Personal  characteristics. — The  necessity  for  aca- 
demic and  professional  qualifications  in  no  way  lessens 
the  importance  of  personal  qualifications.  The  work 
of  the  teacher  is  such  that  nothing  can  take  the  place 
of  the  personal  factor.  The  kind  of  person  who 
teaches  has  much  to  do  with  the  permanent  effect  that 
teaching  has  upon  the  learner.  This  is  true  of  any 
kind  of  teaching  and  particularly  so  in  the  teaching  of 
religion.  It  is  so  intimately  a  personal  matter  that  any- 
one who  assumes  to  teach  another  its  great  funda- 
mental principles  and  practices  must  possess  a  person- 
ality which  can  give  adequate  expression  to  them. 

Personality,  however,  is  a  complex  made  up  of 
qualities  each  of  which  enters  into  the  success  one  at- 
tains in  his  personal  relationships.  And  it  is  a  matter 
of  common  knowledge  that  teaching  involves  personal 
relationships  of  a  most  vital  sort.  The  qualities  which 
make  it  effective  are  determined  by  the  very  nature  of 
the  teaching  process  itself.  What  these  are  and  the 
order  of  their  importance  are  questions  which  have 
received  a  great  deal  of  discriminative  attention  from 
public-school  administrators.  Score  cards  referred  to 
in  a  previous  section  have  been  prepared  and  used  both 
in  the  selection  of  teachers  and  in  rating  them  while  in 
service. 

Means  of  rating  teachers. — An  account  of  how 
one  of  these  was  made  up  is  given  in  Bagley's  School 
Discipline  (pp.  30-33).  In  brief,  one  hundred  expe- 
rienced superintendents  and  principals  were  asked  to 
make  lists  of  ten  specific  qualities  which  in  their  opin- 
ion make  up  good  teaching  personality.     The  replies 

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ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

include  a  wide  variety  of  these  specific  qualities.  But 
there  were  ten  quaHties  which  were  given  a  place  in  a 
large  number  of  lists  and  in  the  order  of  their  fre- 


quency  were  as  follows : 

I.  Sympathy. 

6.  Enthusiasm. 

2.  Personal  appearance. 

7.  Scholarship. 

3.  Address. 

8.  Vitality. 

4.  Sincerity. 

9.  Fairness. 

5.  Optimism. 

10.  Reserve  and  dignity. 

The  above  classification  indicates  the  order  of  im- 
portance from  the  standpoint  of  frequency  or  the  num- 
ber of  times  each  received  mention.  Thus  sympathy 
stands  first  in  the  list  and  reserve  and  dignity  last. 
The  frequency  of  appearance  of  these  qualities  in  the 
lists  and  the  order  of  their  importance  might,  how- 
ever, represent  merely  opinions  concerning  what  ought 
to  be  included  rather  than  actual  qualities  revealed  by 
unusually  successful  teachers.  Some  means  must  be 
employed  to  avoid  the  acceptance  of  mere  opinion. 

In  order  to  check  up  on  this,  the  investigator  then 
resorted  to  the  following  device:  He  asked  approxi- 
mately one  hundred  fifty  school  administrators  to  list 
their  six  best  teachers  first  in  the  order  of  "general 
teaching  personality,"  ranking  as  number  one  the 
teacher  with  the  best  personality,  as  number  two  the 
next  best,  and  so  on.  Then  he  asked  them  to  list  these 
same  teachers  in  the  order  of  their  "sympathy,"  "per- 
sonal appearance,"  and  so  on  through  the  list  of  the  ten 
qualities  which  his  first  investigation  had  revealed.  In 
this  way  he  was  able  to  secure  the  actual  judgment  of 
these  administrators  concerning  the  relative  importance 
of  these  qualities  as  revealed  by  the  teachers  whom  they 
had  selected  as  the  six  best  in  their  respective  schools. 

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SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

The  result  of  this  was  to  change  the  order  somewhat 
as  the  following  list  will  show : 

1.  Address.  6.  Fairness. 

2.  Personal  Appearance.  7.  Sincerity. 

3.  Optimism.  8.  Sympathy. 

4.  Reserve  or  Dignity.  9.  Vitality. 

5.  Enthusiasm.  10.  Scholarship. 

There  would  no  doubt  be  considerable  difference  of 
opinion  concerning  whether  all  these  ten  qualities 
should  be  selected  out  of  the  large  number  which  might 
go  into  a  more  extended  list.  But  the  fact  that  these 
were  mentioned  most  frequently  by  one  hundred  expe- 
rienced school  administrators  indicates  their  impor- 
tance. It  is  very  probable  also  that  if  accepted  as  being 
the  ten  most  important  qualities  there  would  be  lack 
of  unanimity  concerning  the  order  of  importance.  But 
here,  again,  we  have  the  result  of  the  application  of 
the  list  by  those  experienced  in  judging  qualities  of  suc- 
cessful teachers  whom  they  selected  out  of  their  own 
schools. 

A  score  card  suggested  by  Dr.  Betts  in  his  book 
How  to  Teach  Religion  (pp.  19-21)  will  be  found 
highly  useful.  The  list  is  much  longer  than  the  one 
given  by  Dr.  Bagley.  In  fact,  there  are  two  parallel 
lists,  one  of  "positive  qualities"  and  one  of  "opposite" 
or  "negative  qualities."  The  qualities  listed  are  numer- 
ous, those  which  are  similar  being  grouped  together. 
Being  thus  grouped  there  are  forty  listed  under  each 
of  the  captions  "positive  qualities"  and  "negative  quali- 
ties." No  order  of  importance  is  attempted  in  making 
up  the  lists.  Only  ten  groups  in  each  list,  selected  more 
or  less  at  random,  will  be  given  here,  which  will  serve 
the  purpose  of  illustration. 

191 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


Positive   Qualities 

1.  Open-mindedness,    in- 

quiring, broad. 

2.  Judicious,     balanced, 

fair. 

3.  Decisive,       possessing 

convictions. 

4.  Patient,  calm,  equable. 

5.  Face     smiling,     voice 

pleasing. 

6.  Religious     certainty, 

peace,  quiet. 

7.  Taste  in  attire,  cleanli- 

ness, pride. 

8.  Self-controlled,      deci- 

sive, purpose. 

9.  Courageous,       daring, 

firm. 

10.  Interest  in  Bible  and 

Religion. 


Negative  Qualities 

1.  Narrow,  dogmatic,  not 

hungry  for  truth. 

2.  Prejudiced,  led  by  likes 

and  dislikes. 

3.  Uncertain,     wavering, 

undecided. 

4.  Irritable,     excitable, 

moody. 

5.  Somber    expression, 

voice  unpleasant. 

6.  Conflict,  strain,  uncer- 

tainty. 

7.  Careless    in    dress, 

frumpy,  no  pride. 

8.  Suggestible,  easily  led, 

uncertain. 

9.  Overcautious,  weak, 

vacillating. 

10.  Little  concern  for  Bi- 

ble and  religion. 


These  two  examples  of  score  cards  will  indicate  the 
systematic  attempt  being  made  to  judge  "teaching  per- 
sonality." Personal  characteristics  are  so  vital  that 
they  should  be  judged  as  accurately  as  possible  by 
those  who  have  the  responsibility  of  selecting  teachers. 
No  device  is,  of  course,  of  any  significance  unless  used 
by  a  person  who  knows  how  to  use  it  and  to  estimate 
the  value  of  results  obtained.  Keeping  this  in  mind, 
the  use  of  well-defined  standards  in  judging  "teach- 
ing personality"  is  indispensable  in  selecting  teachers. 

It  is  obvious  that  efficient  teachers  are  just  as  indis- 
pensable in  teaching  religion  as  they  are  in  teaching 

192 


SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

any  other  subject.  The  inevitable  consequences  of  poor 
teaching  are  far  more  disastrous  in  such  a  vital  matter 
as  religion  than  in  the  case  of  some  other  things.  It 
should  be  said,  therefore,  that  poor  teachers  of  religion 
are  to  be  avoided  with  even  more  care  than  is  being 
exercised  in  our  attempts  to  protect  children  against 
poor  teachers  in  the  public  schools.  This  cannot  be 
done  in  the  absence  of  proper  standards  and  without 
the  exercise  of  competent  judgment  in  their  use. 

The  standards  which  have  been  proposed  in  our  dis- 
cussion are  entirely  reasonable  and  should  be  main- 
tained wherever  possible.  It  is  true  that,  with  the  pres- 
ent unfortunate  lack  of  adequate  facilities  for  training 
teachers,  the  supply  of  properly  qualified  persons  is 
not  sufficient  to  meet  the  demands.  The  increase  in 
demand  incident  to  the  rapid  development  of  week-day 
instruction  only  serves  to  render  the  situation  more 
acute.  In  the  very  nature  of  the  case  boards  of  reli- 
gious education  cannot  expect  in  every  instance  to  se- 
cure teachers  who  fully  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
standards  desired.  In  spite  of  this,  however,  certain 
minimum  standards  should  be  rigidly  applied. 

Every  person  accepted  as  a  teacher  of  religion  should 
possess  a  vital  religious  life  and  experience.  Some 
knowledge  of  the  subject-matter  to  be  taught  and  of 
methods  of  teaching  should  be  insisted  upon.  And 
finally  all  teachers  should  be  required  to  utilize  the 
means  provided  for  their  improvement.  If  these  mini- 
mum standards  are  rigidly  applied,  careful  and  sys- 
tematic supervision  of  the  work  both  in  Sunday  and 
week-day  school  can  be  made  to  overcome  in  some 
degree  at  least,  the  lack  of  adequate  training  and  expe- 
rience on  the  part  of  the  teachers. 

It  is  very  encouraging  to  note  that  the  matter  of 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

raising  the  standards  of  teaching  is  receiving  increas- 
ingly serious  attention.  Those  responsible  for  both 
Sunday  and  week-day  schools  are  coming  more  and 
more  to  recognize  that  religious  instruction  cannot  be 
given  its  rightful  place  as  an  integral  part  of  all  educa- 
tion unless  better  qualified  teachers  are  secured.  We 
must  set  ourselves  persistently  and  systematically  to  the 
task  of  increasing  the  supply  of  well-qualified  teachers. 
One  way  of  accomplishing  this,  as  has  already  been 
pointed  out,  is  by  competent  supervision  of  teachers 
now  in  service. 

THE  SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

The  supervision  of  teachers  has  received  compara- 
tively little  attention  in  the  field  of  religious  educa- 
tion. On  the  other  hand,  this  constitutes  one  of  the 
most  important  problems  now  occupying  the  attention 
of  public-school  administrators.  It  is  here  recognized 
that  oversight  of  teachers  is  absolutely  essential  and 
that  no  school  can  be  expected  to  achieve  satisfactory 
results  without  it.  The  kind  of  school  can  make  no 
difference  from  the  standpoint  of  the  necessity  of  intel- 
ligent supervision.  The  best  way  in  which  to  get  the 
matter  before  us  as  it  relates  to  religious  education  is 
by  an  analysis  of  the  situation.  The  causes  making 
supervision  necessary  in  the  public  schools  are  also 
present  in  Sunday  and  week-day  schools.  In  fact,  some 
of  the  causes  are  even  more  compelling  in  the  latter 
types  of  school. 

The  need  and  functions  of  supervision. —  Why 
does  the  work  of  a  school  need  supervision?  When  a 
curriculum  has  been  provided  and  teachers  employed, 
why  is  it  necessary  that  some  one  should  be  responsible 
for  the  direction  of  the  work  of  the  school  ?    Why  can- 

194 


SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

not  teachers  of  both  Sunday  and  week-day  schools 
carry  on  their  work  successfully  independent  of  any 
oversight  and  control  ?  These  and  other  similar  ques- 
tions are  best  answered  by  considering  in  some  detail 
the  need  and  function  of  supervision. 

1.  The  inclusive  function  of  supervision  is  to  direct 
and  correlate  all  of  the  forces  relied  upon  to  attain 
the  objects  for  which  the  school  is  maintained.  The 
importance  of  coordinating  the  work  of  the  school  with 
that  of  the  home  and  the  public  school  has  already 
been  discussed.  Plans  have  to  be  worked  out  to  secure 
this,  but  they  will  not  work  automatically.  Some  one 
has  to  work  the  plans,  and  this  is  a  day-by-day,  week- 
by-week  task.  Other  plans  which  have  to  do  with  in- 
struction, discipline,  recreation,  and  the  like  require 
some  one  to  guide  both  teachers  and  pupils  in  carrying 
them  out.  A  school  to  be  at  its  best  requires  not  only 
that  each  teacher  be  successful  in  doing  her  particular 
work  well  but  that  all  the  teachers  work  together  as  a 
unit.  To  secure  this  cooperation  requires  a  directing 
mind  which  is  capable  of  seeing  the  necessity  of  unity 
of  effort  and  also  capable  of  securing  it.  This  reveals 
the  need  of  supervision  and  its  more  inclusive  function. 

2.  Supervision  is  needed  because  many  teachers  lack 
adequate  training  and  experience.  If  all  teachers  were 
highly  efficient,  the  need  of  supervision  is  still  appar- 
ent for  the  reasons  stated  above.  Unfortunately,  many 
of  them,  because  of  lack  of  training  or  experience  or 
both,  are  quite  helpless  without  the  aid  of  intelligent 
and  sympathetic  direction.  The  training  of  teachers 
in  service  has  already  been  discussed  in  the  previous 
chapter.  It  was  there  pointed  out  that  well-planned 
supervision  is  one  of  the  effective  means  of  training 
teachers.     The  discussion  here  is  from  another  point 

195 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

of  view,  namely,  that  these  teachers  require  careful 
supervision  in  order  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  school 
successfully.  As  long  as  we  are  compelled  to  have 
such  a  large  proportion  of  teachers  who  are  not  quali- 
fied for  their  work,  careful  supervision  is  the  only 
means  of  maintaining  anything  like  reputable  educa- 
tional standards. 

3.  Supervision  furnishes  a  stimulus  to  regularity 
and  uniformity  of  work.  Teachers,  like  all  other  work- 
ers, need  this.  To  know  that  some  competent  and  sym- 
pathetic person  is  passing  judgment  upon  our  work  for 
the  purpose  of  making  it  more  effective  stimulates  us 
to  do  our  best  unaided  and  to  keep  our  work  up  to  a 
high  level  of  efficiency.  We  like  to  have  a  part  in  a 
common  endeavor  where  unified  effort  is  accomplish- 
ing more  than  could  be  accomplished  by  each  working 
independently.  The  right  kind  of  supervision  helps 
to  give  a  social  meaning  to  the  work  of  the  school. 

4.  Teachers  should  be  classified  in  accordance  with 
their  needs.  All  teachers  need  more  or  less  super- 
vision to  secure  unity  in  the  work  of  a  school.  Those 
belonging  to  the  first  class  mentioned  below  require 
little  supervision  except  for  this  purpose.  A  good 
classification  is  furnished  in  Cubberly's  Public  School 
Administration  (p.  232). 

(a)  Superior  teachers  whose  training,  experience, 
and  personality  enable  them  to  do  their  work  with  very 
little  oversight.  Their  work  serves  as  standards  to  be 
attained  by  other  teachers  and  furnishes  a  stimulus  to 
them. 

(b)  Teachers  who  possess  good  natural  ability  and 
have  been  rather  successful,  but  who  have  gotten  into 
ruts  and  resist  innovations.  A  larger  vision  of  the 
meaning  of  religious  education  is  needed  and  more 

196 


SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

effective  methods  are  required.  They  need  construc- 
tive, sympathetic  supervision  in  order  that  they  may 
become  forward  looking  and  efficient. 

(c)  Teachers  who  lack  scholarship  or  practical  skill 
or  both  and  are  unconscious  of  their  failure.  They  do 
not  know  they  need  help  and  this  fact  makes  the  task  of 
supervision  rather  difficult.  If  a  school  has  many  of 
this  kind,  it  stands  in  need  of  vigorous  overhauling. 

(d)  Teachers  who  lack  scholarship  or  practical  skill 
or  both  and  are  conscious  of  their  shortcomings.  They 
are  self-conscious  and  timid.  Their  energies  are  dissi- 
pated in  worrying  over  their  failures.  Their  work  is 
carried  on  perfunctorily  and  naturally  lacks  vitality. 
They  need  help  to  standardize  their  work  and  sym- 
pathetic direction  in  preparing  themselves  for  it. 

(e)  Beginning  teachers  who  have  had  little  or  no 
training.  This  class  is  relatively  large  in  many  Sun- 
day schools  and  supervision  of  their  work  is  absolutely 
essential  if  anything  like  successful  teaching  is  expected 
of  them.  One  of  the  results  of  efficient  supervision 
will  be  to  get  many  of  these  teachers  into  class  a  de- 
scribed above.  In  the  absence  of  supervision  there  is 
danger  that  they  will  recruit  classes  b,  c,  and  d. 

There  are,  of  course,  no  exact  lines  of  demarkation 
which  divide  teachers  into  precisely  the  five  classes  here 
indicated.  This  classification,  however,  will  be  helpful 
in  making  clear  the  functions  of  supervisions  and  in 
defining  the  nature  of  the  task. 

5.  Supervision  provides  expert  service  in  directing 
the  work  of  the  school.  It  makes  possible  immediate 
and  accurate  diagnoses  of  instructional  and  disciplinary 
difficulties.  Remedies  can  be  wisely  selected  and  intelli- 
gently applied.  The  lack  of  adequate  time  for  the 
work  of  the  Sunday  school  makes  efficient  supervision 

197 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

imperative  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  it  saves 
time  and  prevents  waste  of  effort.  A  directing  mind  is 
able  to  see  the  work  of  the  schood  as  a  whole  and  to 
secure  proper  cooperation  of  all  the  forces. 

RELATIONS   IN    WHICH    SUPERVISION    IS   EXERCISED 

One  of  the  important  tasks  of  a  supervisor  is  to 
make  a  study  of  the  school  to  ascertain  the  points  at 
which  supervision  is  most  needed.  A  successful  super- 
visor does  not  wait  for  some  outstanding  difficulty  to 
arise  before  he  makes  suggestions  or  gives  directions. 
He  discovers  potential  needs  and  difficulties  and 
thereby  prevents  acute  situations  from  arising.  He  pre- 
vents conditions  of  disorder  and  ineffective  teaching 
by  anticipating  their  causes.  "An  ounce  of  prevention 
is  worth  a  pound  of  cure." 

Supervision  of  classroom  work. — Poor  classroom 
work  means  a  poor  school.  A  Sunday  school  is  no 
exception  to  this  rule.  The  recitation  is  the  vital  point 
of  contact  between  teacher  and  pupil.  Here  is  where 
lessons  are  assigned,  instruction  given,  and  methods  of 
testing  and  drilling  applied.  Some  of  the  points  at 
which  teachers  need  help  are  as  follows : 

I.  The  first  requisite  of  good  teaching  is  clear,  well 
defined  aims.  The  aims  of  religious  instruction  have 
been  discussed  in  Chapter  III.  These  aims  must  be 
realized  largely  through  the  work  of  the  classroom  or 
not  at  all.  Teachers  need  help  in  keeping  these  aims 
before  them  as  definite  objectives  in  their  teaching. 
They  also  need  to  keep  clearly  in  mind  that  each  recita- 
tion has  certain  definite  immediate  objectives  in  real- 
izing one  or  more  of  the  final  objectives.  For,  exam- 
ple, every  well-planned  recitation  has  for  its  aim 
instruction,  drilling,  or  testing.    In  fact  these  all  enter 

198 


SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

more  or  less  into  every  recitation.  But  one  of  them 
should  receive  the  emphasis.  The  teacher  needs  to  de- 
termine in  advance  whether  the  recitation  shall  be  de- 
voted primarily  to  teaching  the  pupils  something  new 
or  to  drilling  them  or  testing  them  upon  something  al- 
ready learned.  One  function  of  supervision  is  to  help 
the  teacher  to  determine  which  of  these  should  he 
emphasized  in  a  particular  recitation. 

2.  Teachers  need  help  in  the  choice  and  right  use  of 
methods  in  conducting  the  recitation.  There  are  three 
chief  methods,  each  of  which  has  its  value.  They  are 
usually  designated  as  follows:  (a)  The  teUing  or  lec- 
ture method,  {h)  the  question  method,  and  (c)  the 
topic  method.  The  first  method  has  its  value  but  it  is 
used  far  too  much  in  the  Sunday  school.  Teachers  are 
inclined  to  talk  too  much.  The  conditions  under 
which  they  carry  on  their  work,  already  referred  to  in 
Chapter  VII,  are  partly  responsible  for  this.  But  the 
conditions  should  be  improved  and  teachers  should  not 
only  do  less  talking  but  should  talk  more  to  the  point. 
The  teacher  should  make  her  contribution  to  the  recita- 
tion by  telling  something  that  has  interest  and  value. 
But  she  should  know  what  to  tell,  how  much  to  tell, 
and  how  to  tell  it.  In  the  majority  of  those  classes 
where  the  teacher  does  the  most  of  the  talking  not 
much  is  being  accomplished. 

A  liberal  use  of  the  question  method  is  indispensable 
to  good  teaching.  This  method,  however,  requires  con- 
siderable skill  on  the  part  of  the  teachers.  Untrained 
and  inexperienced  teachers  particularly  need  careful 
supervision  in  its  use.  They  need  help  in  making  their 
questions  pertinent,  so  that  the  main  points  of  the  les- 
son may  receive  proper  emphasis.  An  enormous  waste 
of  time  results  from  trivial  questions  on  the  part  of 

199 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

both  teachers  and  pupils.  Teachers  need  help  in  learn- 
ing how  to  formulate  questions  so  that  they  will  be 
clear  and  definite.  Pupils  should  not  be  required  to 
spend  their  time  in  guessing  at  the  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion because  of  lack  of  clearness.  This  may  result  from 
ambiguous  language  or  the  use  of  language  which  the 
pupils  do  not  understand  or  the  use  of  long,  involved 
sentences.  Poor  questioning  resulting  from  any  and 
all  of  these  causes  means  poor  teaching. 

The  use  of  the  topic  method  is  likewise  subject  to 
great  abuse.  It  too  frequently  degenerates  in  indis- 
criminate talking  on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  This 
method  is  successful  only  when  the  topics  are  selected 
with  reference  to  the  main  points  in  the  lesson  and 
the  discussions  are  skillfully  guided  by  the  teacher. 
Pupils  should  be  encouraged  to  express  themselves,  but 
they  should  not  be  allowed  to  consume  the  time  of  the 
class  by  talking  about  irrelevant  matters.  Inexperi- 
enced teachers  are  apt  to  be  deceived  by  appearances. 
Animation  on  the  part  of  the  class  and  an  apparent 
interest  in  indiscriminate  talking  are  not  substitutes  for 
genuine  interest  in  the  lesson  in  hand  and  intelligent 
expression  of  the  truths  to  be  learned. 

3.  Teachers  need  supervision  in  assigning  lessons 
and  in  directing  pupils  in  their  study.  The  proper 
assignment  of  a  lesson  is  the  first  requisite  of  a  good 
recitation.  The  length  of  the  lesson  must  be  deter- 
mined by  its  degree  of  difficulty  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  ability  of  the  pupils,  and  by  the  amount  of  time 
available  for  study  and  recitation.  The  printed  "les- 
sons" in  the  form  of  leaflets  or  in  books  often  need 
considerable  modification.  At  best  they  serve  only  as 
suggestions  to  the  teacher  as  to  the  amount  and  char- 
acter of  the  work  to  be  assigned  for  any  one  lesson. 

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SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

And  in  any  event,  lessons  are  not  assigned  by  merely 
placing  the  material  in  the  hands  of  the  pupils.  An 
assignment  of  a  lesson  means  that  the  pupils  know 
what  is  expected  of  them  and  how  to  go  about  it  to 
prepare  for  the  recitation. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  assignment  of  a  lesson  is 
very  clearly  related  to  a  study  of  it.  Directed  study 
is  one  of  the  present  needs  of  the  Sunday  school.  In 
discussing  in  another  connection  the  necessity  of 
lengthening  the  time  at  least  to  one  hour  and  thirty 
minutes  this  was  pointed  out.  Home  study  cannot  be 
depended  upon  in  most  cases  to  secure  adequate  prep- 
aration of  the  lesson.  This  means  that  the  pupils  must 
devote  some  time  in  school  to  the  study  of  assignments 
and  this  should  be  done  under  the  direction  of  the 
teachers.  Inexperienced  teachers  and  others  who  have 
not  been  trained  for  their  work  will  require  supervision 
in  giving  proper  direction  to  pupils  in  the  preparation 
of  lessons. 

Supervision  in  matters  of  discipline. — In  no  sin- 
gle respect  do  teachers  need  help  more  than  they  do 
in  matters  of  discipline.  This  is  not  only  true  of  Sun- 
day-school teachers  but  of  teachers  in  general.  It  is 
a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  teachers  fail  in 
discipline  more  frequently  than  in  any  other  particular. 
The  failure  is  perhaps  not  quite  so  obvious  in  the  case 
of  Sunday-school  teachers  as  of  public-school  teachers, 
due  to  lack  of  standards  in  the  Sunday  schools.  But 
this  only  makes  supervision  all  the  more  necessary  and 
the  task  all  the  more  difficult.  Teachers  need  help  in 
raising  the  standards  and  in  maintaining  these  stand- 
ards when  established. 

Supervision  of  social  recreational  activities. — The 
program  of  religious  education  is  coming  to  include 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

more  and  more  of  these  activities.  In  no  other  respect 
are  children  and  young  people  so  much  in  need  of  intel- 
ligent and  sympathetic  direction.  This  task  cannot  be 
left  to  individual  teachers.  There  must  be  a  definite 
policy  for  the  school  as  a  whole  and  it  must  be  wisely 
administered.  The  great  need  at  this  point  is  a  con- 
structive policy  which  recognizes  the  social  and  reli- 
gious values  of  these  activities  and  supervision  of  a 
kind  that  will  secure  to  children  and  young  people  the 
largest  possible  degree  of  freedom  and  initiative  and  at 
the  same  time  provide  the  necessary  sympathetic,  in- 
telligent direction. 

Supervision  as  related  to  physical  conditions. — 
Schools  providing  religious  instruction,  whether  Sun- 
day or  week-day  schools,  require  favorable  conditions 
under  which  to  carry  on  their  work.  Systems  of  ven- 
tilation, adequate  lighting  and  heating  facilities  and  the 
like  do  not  work  automatically.  Neither  can  their 
proper  functioning  be  left  to  the  initiative  of  janitors 
or  individual  teachers.  They  must  be  held  responsible 
for  proper  physical  conditions  by  the  supervising  of- 
ficer of  the  school. 

PRINCIPLES  GOVERNING  IN   SUPERVISION 

The  following  principles  help  to  define  the  task  of 
supervision  and  are  suggestive  of  modes  of  procedure. 

Supervision  in  order  to  be  effective  must  be  pur- 
poseful and  systematic. — It  should  be  consistent  so 
that  teachers  and  pupils  may  know  what  is  expected  of 
them.  They  should  feel  that  the  school  is  being  con- 
ducted in  accordance  with  definite  policies,  and  they 
should  know  what  these  policies  are.  This  is  the  only 
basis  upon  which  cooperation  can  be  secured. 

Help  should  be  given  when  and  where  it  is  most 

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SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

needed. — The  supervisor  must,  therefore,  be  a  good 
diagnostician.  Teachers  and  pupils  alike  need  to  have 
their  attention  directed  to  the  causes  of  failure  and 
should  receive  aid  at  the  point  of  greatest  weakness. 
Weak  spots  in  a  school  are  like  weak  links  in  a  chain. 
Disorder  in  one  classroom  is  soon  reflected  in  the 
assembly  and  is  apt  to  spread  throughout  the  school. 
A  few  unruly  pupils  soon  become  centers  of  infection. 
Inefiicient  work  on  the  part  of  a  single  teacher  will 
eventually  lower  the  standards  of  the  work  of  other 
teachers.  It  is  the  function  of  the  supervisor  to 
strengthen  the  weak  spots. 

Criticism  should  he  constructive. — A  positive  sug- 
gestion is  usually  more  effective  than  a  negative  criti- 
cism. Teachers  must,  of  course,  learn  what  not  to  do, 
and  causes  of  failure  must  be  pointed  out.  But  their 
attention  needs  to  be  directed  particularly  to  causes  of 
success.  The  negative  criticism  is  very  easily  inter- 
preted by  sensitive  teachers  and  pupils  as  fault-finding. 
If  overindulged  in,  it  very  readily  degenerates  into 
nagging.  The  more  one  plays  on  an  instrument  out 
of  tune  the  more  discord  is  produced.  The  remedy  is 
to  tune  up  the  instrument. 

Commendation  should  he  given  when  deserved, — 
Indiscriminate  commendation  is  destructive  of  good 
school  morale.  It  may  be  and  frequently  is  misleading 
to  those  who  are  commended.  Inexperienced  teachers 
particularly  are  apt  to  take  it  at  its  face  value  and  form 
wrong  estimates  of  their  work.  The  practice  is  also 
demoralizing  to  the  school  as  a  whole  because  of  the 
lack  of  discrimination  shown  in  evaluating  work  and 
conduct.  In  the  case  of  those  who  take  it  seriously  its 
result  is  to  give  false  impression  concerning  the  real 
conditions  in  the  school.    No  incentives  are  furnished 

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ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

to  improve  classroom  work  or  conduct  if  things  are 
considered  to  be  all  right  as  they  are.  To  those  who 
are  wiser,  fulsome  praise  on  all  occasions  serves  only 
to  convince  them  that  the  supervisor  is  either  insin- 
cere or  incompetent. 

On  the  other  hand,  commendation  when  deserved 
and  properly  expressed  is  a  very  fruitful  method  of 
securing  cooperation.  It  establishes  friendly  relation- 
ships, serves  as  a  stimulus  to  those  who  are  doing  well 
and  as  an  incentive  to  others  who  are  thus  made  con- 
scious that  they  have  failed  to  measure  up  to  the  stand- 
ards of  the  school.  Nothing  is  more  encouraging  to 
earnest,  conscientious  teachers  and  pupils  than  to  know 
that  those  in  authority  recognize  success.  The  super- 
visor who  passes  judgment  only  when  something  goes 
wrong  always  fails  to  establish  the  sympathetic  rela- 
tions necessary  to  fruitful  supervision.  Knowing  when 
and  how  to  praise  successful  effort  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  fine  art  of  directing  the  work  of  any 
school. 

Successful  supervision  allows  the  fullest  possible 
measure  of  freedom  and  encourages  initiative  and 
originality. — The  personal  factor  is  a  most  important 
consideration  in  education  of  any  sort.  In  religious 
education  this  is  especially  true.  Supervision  of  teach- 
ers should  result  in  increasing  ability  on  their  part  to 
carry  on  their  work  unaided.  They  should  become 
increasingly  self-reliant  and  have  an  increasing  sense 
of  personal  responsibility  for  the  results  of  their  teach- 
ing. The  results  should  be  the  same  in  the  case  of 
pupils.  They  should  become  increasingly  responsible 
for  regularity  and  punctuality  in  attendance.  Prob- 
lems of  discipline,  both  for  supervisor  and  teacher, 
should  grow  less  as  pupils  gain  experience  in  self-con- 

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SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

trol.  Preparation  of  lessons  should  be  made  with  less 
and  less  strain  upon  the  teachers.  None  of  these  re- 
sults are  possible  for  either  teachers  or  pupils  unless 
they  are  encouraged  to  achieve  freedom  through  an 
increasing  ability  to  carry  on  their  work  unaided. 

Matters  of  routine  should  be  mechanised. — This 
principle  is  in  no  way  contradictory  to  the  one  just  dis- 
cussed. Habit  saves  time  and  energy,  makes  skill  pos- 
sible, and  leaves  us  free  to  direct  our  attention  to  those 
things  which  require  conscious  effort.  Passing  of 
classes,  responses  to  signals,  collecting  and  distributing 
material  are  some  of  the  matters  of  routine  in  which 
there  should  be  uniformity.  Uniform  ways  of  doing 
these  things  should  therefore  be  insisted  upon  and  per- 
sisted in  until  they  become  established.  Such  a  plan 
is  conducive  to  good  order,  economizes  time,  and  re- 
sults in  habits  of  cooperation  in  a  social  enterprise. 

METHODS  OF  SUPERVISION 

The  practical  question  which  the  supervisor  con- 
stantly faces  is,  How  can  I  direct  all  the  forces  of  the 
school  to  the  best  advantage?  Effective  supervision 
requires  time  both  on  the  part  of  supervisor  and 
teachers.  The  former  must  be  in  contact  with  the 
work  while  it  is  going  on,  and  both  he  and  the  teachers 
must  devote  considerable  time  to  details  outside  of  the 
classroom.  This  makes  the  problem  particularly  diffi- 
cult in  the  case  of  the  Sunday  school.  It  meets  but 
once  a  week,  and  the  time  it  is  in  session  is  wholly  in- 
adequate to  allow  for  proper  supervision.  In  fact,  the 
most  of  the  work  must  be  done  outside  this  time.  As 
already  pointed  out,  supervision  is  one  means  of  train- 
ing, in  service  and  a  program  for  the  former  serves  as 
means  to  secure  this  training. 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATrON 

Demonstration  lessons. — These  bring  the  super- 
visor in  direct  contact  with  the  teachers.  He  observes 
them  at  work  either  in  directing  study  or  in  conducting 
recitations.  Their  needs  are  revealed  and  assistance 
can  be  given  by  suggestions  or  by  demonstrating  how 
the  work  should  be  conducted.  This  method  has  to  be 
used  very  wisely  and  even  sparingly  in  most  instances. 
If  resorted  to  frequently,  it  is  apt  to  discredit  the 
teacher  in  the  eyes  of  the  pupils.  It  consumes  time 
which  should  belong  ordinarily  to  the  teacher.  Fre- 
quent interruptions  of  the  routine  of  work  tend  to 
break  down  the  morale  of  the  class.  The  method,  how- 
ever, has  its  place  in  a  well-formulated  plan  of  super- 
vision. 

Written  directions  and  suggestions. — These 
should  apply  to  the  amount  of  work  to  be  covered,  the 
assignment  of  lessons,  supervised  study,  conducting 
the  recitation,  matters  relating  to  worship  and  disci- 
pline and  to  other  matters  pertaining  to  the  general 
oversight  of  the  school.  This  method  requires  careful 
and  explicit  formulation  of  suggestions  and  directions 
which  must  be  in  sufficient  detail  to  serve  as  guides  to 
the  teachers.  It  enables  the  supervisor  to  adapt  his  in- 
structions to  the  needs  of  individual  teachers  much  the 
same  as  personal  conferences.  Written  communica- 
tions cannot,  however,  wholly  take  the  place  of  con- 
ference, though  they  can  be  utilized  in  many  instances. 
If  the  written  directions  are  preserved  as  they  should  be 
by  the  teachers,  they  serve  more  or  less  as  permanent 
guides. 

Teachers*  meetings. — These  constitute  one  of  the 
most  effective  methods  of  supervision  if  rightly  used. 
It  is  true  that  teachers'  meetings  require  considerable 
time,  and  they  are  proverbial  time-wasters.    It  is  not 

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SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

an  easy  problem  to  find  a  convenient  time  when  all  the 
teachers  can  assemble  at  one  place  for  conference  and 
discussion,  but  it  is  absolutely  essential  that  this  be 
done,  and  it  can  be  done  if  teachers  have  the  right  atti- 
tude toward  their  work.  It  is  more  difficult  to  accom- 
plish this  in  the  case  of  the  Sunday  school  than  that 
of  the  week-day  school.  It  does  not  help  matters  to 
underestimate  the  difficulty  of  the  problem.  But  let  it 
be  repeated  that  frequent  teachers'  meetings  are  essen- 
tial and  that  real  desire  and  honest  effort  on  the  part  of 
all  concerned  will  largely  overcome  the  obstacles.  The 
hour  or  more  spent  each  week  in  these  meetings  should 
be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  schedule  of  every  teacher. 
When  this  is  once  established  difficulties  will  be  more 
easily  overcome. 

Causes  of  failure. — The  charge  that  teachers*  meet- 
ings are  far  too  frequently  little  better  than  mere  time- 
wasters  is  unfortunately  true.  There  are  three  main 
causes  for  this. 

1.  The  teachers  are  included  in  a  general  meeting  of 
the  whole  Sunday  school  force.  The  assemblage,  in 
fact,  in  many  cases  is  not  a  "teachers'  meeting"  at  all, 
although  it  is  so  regarded  and  an  attempt  is  made  to 
have  it  function  as  such.  This  situation  precludes  any 
possibility  of  success. 

2.  Wrong  attitudes  toward  the  meetings  on  the  part 
of  teachers  and  sometimes  on  the  part  of  supervisors 
as  well.  It  is  felt  that  the  meetings  form  no  integral 
part  of  the  whole  educational  program  of  the  church. 
Attendance  is  regarded  as  a  duty  not  well  defined  or 
as  a  matter  of  no  importance  which  may  be  neglected 
without  loss  either  to  the  individual  or  the  school. 

3.  No  plan  or  purpose  to  serve  as  a  basis  for  a 
fruitful  meeting  is  discernible.    The  first  requisite  for 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

a  successful  teachers'  meeting  is  a  carefully  prepared 
program.  The  supervisor's  preparation  of  the  pro- 
gram and  his  methods  of  carrying  it  out  should  be  such 
as  to  serve  as  a  guide  to  the  teachers  in  their  own 
work.  Or  if  a  committee  of  teachers  prepare  the  pro- 
gram and  are  responsible  for  presenting  it,  it  should 
serve  as  a  model  to  the  other  teachers.  Such  a  pro- 
gram means  well-defined  aims  clearly  revealed  by  the 
program  itself  and  the  use  of  methods  which  will  ac- 
complish the  results  intended. 

The  remedies. — The  remedies  for  these  several 
causes  of  failure  or  only  partial  success  of  teachers' 
meetings  are  obvious.  A  teachers'  meeting  should  be 
composed  only  of  teachers  and  prospective  teachers 
who  are  in  training  for  service.  It  may  be  desirable 
for  these  to  attend  the  more  general  meetings  of  the 
entire  Sunday  school  force,  but  they  cannot  take  the 
place  of  teachers'  meetings  which  if  properly  conducted 
will  serve  as  one  of  the  most  fruitful  methods  of  school 
supervision.  The  attitude  referred  to  is  no  doubt  due, 
in  part  at  least,  to  the  failure  to  segregate  the  teachers 
and  to  the  kind  of  program  or  lack  of  program  which 
too  frequently  characterizes  these  meetings.  The  reme- 
dies in  both  cases  are  clear.  Anyone  who  is  competent 
to  supervise  a  school  of  any  kind  is  also  competent  to 
plan  for  and  conduct  teachers'  meetings.  The  remedy 
for  failure  at  this  point  is  for  the  supervisor  to  set 
himself  earnestly  to  the  task  of  making  teachers'  meet- 
ings worth  while  by  providing  a  suitable  program  for 
each  meeting  held. 

DEMAND  FOR  TRAINED  SUPERVISORS 

The  tasks  of  selecting  and  supervising  teachers  are 
not  easy  ones.     It  is  clear  that  neither  can  be  per- 

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SUPERVISION  OF  TEACHERS 

formed  successfully  by  persons  who  are  not  qualified 
for  the  work.  The  qualifications  and  functions  of  the 
officer  responsible  for  their  successful  performance  are 
referred  to  in  Chapters  V,  VI,  and  VII.  The  supply 
of  such  persons  is  not  equal  to  the  potential  demand. 
One  of  the  ways  in  which  the  supply  can  be  increased  is 
by  making  the  potential  demand  an  actual  one. 
Churches  are  already  calling  for  trained  directors  for 
their  church  schools  and  the  establishment  of  com- 
munity schools  is  still  further  increasing  actual  de- 
mand. This  is  a  very  hopeful  sign.  It  reveals  an 
awakened  interest  in  religious  education  and  is  calling 
attention  to  the  need  of  trained  workers  in  this  impor- 
tant field  of  service.  This,  in  turn,  is  resulting  in  an 
increasing  number  of  men  and  women  who  are  plan- 
ning to  enter  the  work.  Facilities  are  being  increased 
to  train  them  and  the  outlook  on  the  whole  is  encour- 
aging. 

Meeting  the  situation. — One  of  the  practical 
questions  which  we  are  facing  is.  What  can  be 
done  in  the  meantime  by  boards  of  education  of  church 
and  community  schools?  The  general  answer  is  that 
they  should  do  the  best  they  can.  Secure  the  most  com- 
petent persons  available  either  locally  or  elsewhere 
and  help  to  create  the  most  favorable  conditions  possi- 
ble in  which  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  school.  As 
pointed  out  in  another  connection,  the  discovery  of 
people  in  our  communities  who  have  had  some  educa- 
tional training  and  experience  is  one  method  of  increas- 
ing the  supply.  Public-school  administrators  and 
teachers  will  in  many  cases  be  able  to  render  useful 
service  at  least  temporarily. 

An  earnest  desire,  properly  manifested,  to  enlarge 
and  make  more  vital  our  programs  of  religious  educa- 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

tion  will  stimulate  an  interest  on  the  part  of  those  who 
are  most  competent  to  supervise  the  work.  If  a  persist- 
ent effort  is  made  by  those  in  authority  to  secure  the 
most  competent  persons  available  to  select  and  super- 
vise teachers,  the  supply  of  such  persons  will  be  larger 
than  even  the  most  hopeful  imagine.  Securing  the  serv- 
ices of  these  persons  as  supervisors  will  almost  imme- 
diately result  in  better  Sunday  schools  and  week-day 
schools. 

Meanwhile  the  number  who  seek  special  preparation 
for  this  work  will  greatly  increase  and  the  facilities  for 
training  them  will  keep  pace  with  demand  for  training. 
Everything  cannot  be  done  in  a  day.  But  this  is  no 
reason  why  we  should  not  do  our  best  and  this  is  more 
than  we  have  been  doing.  Better  supervision  of  reli- 
gious education  is  imperative.  It  can  be  secured  if  we 
approach  the  task  intelligently  and  courageously. 


2IO 


CHAPTER  X 

ADMINISTRATIVE  MANAGEMENT  OF 
PUPILS 

The  center  of  interest  in  religious  education  as  well 
as  in  all  other  kinds  of  education  is  the  pupils.  En- 
rollment, attendance,  punctuality,  gradation,  classifi- 
cation and  discipline  are  the  more  significant  things 
included  in  the  term  *'school  management."  Unless 
these  have  proper  attention,  the  extension  of  time 
devoted  to  religious  education  v^ill  not  bring  fruitful 
results.  If  these  things  continue  to  be  neglected,  im- 
proved curriculum,  better-trained  teachers,  and  more 
adequate  equipment  will  be  of  little  comparative  value. 
Because  of  the  supreme  importance  of  proper  manage- 
ment of  pupils  the  matter  will  be  discussed  in  consider- 
able detail. 

The  difference  between  conditions  surrounding  the 
work  of  public  schools  and  that  of  Sunday  and  week- 
day schools  must  be  kept  clearly  in  mind  throughout 
the  entire  discussion.  Failure  to  do  this  would  be  ex- 
tremely unfortunate.  In  many  important  respects 
these  conditions  are  different  and  will  continue  to  be 
so  at  least  for  a  considerable  time.  On  the  other  hand 
two  things  should  be  emphasized  at  this  point:  (i) 
There  are  certain  fundamental  principles  which  under- 
lie the  successful  management  of  any  school.  These 
principles  cannot  be  ignored  except  at  the  expense  of 
the  success  of  the  school.  (2)  The  public  school 
has  accumulated  a  fund  of  experience  which  can  be 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

utilized  in  securing  and  enforcing  better  standards 
in  Sunday  and  week-day  schools.  It  is  true,  of  course, 
that  this  experience  is  valuable  only  in  case  proper 
adaptations  are  secured.  Any  attempt  to  model  reli- 
gious instruction  wholly  after  the  plan  of  the  public 
school  will  inevitably  end  in  failure.  Intelligent 
adaptation  rather  than  servile  imitation  points  the  v/ay 
to  success. 

Religious  education  must  stand  on  its  own  feet  and 
work  out  its  own  destiny.  But  this  should  not  blind 
us  to  the  fact  that  the  public  school  through  long  expe- 
rience has  worked  out  valuable  standards  and  a  success- 
ful technique  in  school  management.  In  the  belief 
that  this  experience  can  be  utilized  to  great  advantage, 
considerable  stress  is  placed  upon  it  for  purposes  of 
giving  concreteness  to  the  discussion. 

SCHOOL  ENROLLMENT 

Other  things  being  equal,  the  school  which  secures 
the  largest  percentage  of  enrollment  serves  its  constit- 
uency best.  The  first  great  task,  therefore,  is  to  se- 
cure the  enrollment  of  those  for  whom  schools  are 
established  and  maintained.  Educational  opportunity 
provided  either  by  the  church  or  the  State  means 
nothing  to  the  boys  and  girls  who  are  not  enrolled. 
It  has  been  found  that  compulsory  support  of  schools 
is  not  in  itself  sufficient  to  insure  educational  oppor- 
tunity to  all  the  children  of  all  the  people.  Only  when 
parents  because  of  interest  or  compulsion  see  to  it 
that  their  children  attend  school  can  it  be  said  that 
education  is  universal. 

The  State  has  come  fully  to  recognize  the  necessity 
of  securing  the  largest  possible  percentage  of  enroll- 
ment of  the  entire  population  of  school  age.     In  the 

212 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

effort  to  accomplish  this  four  lines  of  endeavor  have 
developed.  One  of  these  will  not  be  applicable  in  the 
case  of  Sunday  or  week-day  schools  and  the  others  will 
require  adaptation.  A  careful  study,  however,  of  these 
means  of  securing  public-school  enrollment  will  afford 
a  valuable  background  for  an  intelligent  considera- 
tion of  the  problem  before  us. 

The  school  survey. — The  first  thing  necessary  in 
any  successful  attempt  to  secure  school  enrollment  is 
to  obtain  accurate  information  concerning  the  total 
number  of  children  who  are  of  school  age.  This  is 
accomplished  by  means  of  a  survey  or  census.^  The 
purpose  of  the  survey  is  to  secure  full  and  accurate 
information,  against  which  to  check  the  records  of 
enrollment  and  attendance.  It  should  therefore  be  of 
a  kind  and  in  sufficient  detail  to  furnish  a  basis  for 
securing  full  enrollment  and  regular  attendance. 

I.  Public  school  officials  have  come  more  and  more 
to  rely  upon  the  use  of  surveys.  In  the  earlier  years 
not  much  was  attempted  in  this  regard.  The  census 
was  taken,  but  its  purpose  was  little  more  than  to 
ascertain  the  number  of  children  of  school  age  in 
order  that  the  school  district  might  receive  its  share 
of  the  income  from  permanent  school  funds.  In  other 
words,  the  purpose  of  the  census  was  not  to  furnish 
a  basis  for  school  procedure  but  merely  to  add  so  many 
dollars  to  the  school  fund.  The  census  takers  simply 
ascertained  the  number  of  children  of  school  age  in  the 
district  and  their  respective  ages. 

These  facts  are  essential  but  are  wholly  insufficient 
for  the  purpose  under  discussion.  If  a  child  is  not 
enrolled  in  school,  what  is  the  reason  ?  Is  the  cause  to 
be  found  in  the  home  or  in  the  school  or  both?    Are 

1  Bliss,  D.  C,  Methods  and  Standards  for  Local  School  Surveys.      Chapters  I,  VI. 

213 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

the  parents  merely  indifferent?  Is  the  child  kept  out 
of  school  to  work  ?  If  so,  is  his  assistance  necessary  to 
the  support  of  the  family?  If  he  has  dropped  out  of 
school  is  it  because  of  dissatisfaction  with  the  school? 
If  so,  what  are  the  detailed  facts  in  the  case?  These 
are  a  few  of  many  similar  questions  which  should  be 
answered  by  the  school  census.  Many  public  schools 
are  now  successful  in  securing  this  more  complete  in- 
formation upon  which  to  base  procedure. 

2.  The  second  line  of  development  consists  in  more 
effective  methods  for  securing  information.  It  takes 
into  account  first  of  all  a  clearer  conception  of  the 
kind  of  information  needed.  This  has  now  been 
worked  out  in  such  detail  by  many  schools  that  the 
information  itself  suggests  the  method  of  procedure 
for  securing  enrollment  and  regularity  in  attendance. 

It  should  be  said  in  this  connection  that  experience 
has  shown  that  the  personnel  employed  to  gather  and 
interpret  information  of  this  kind  requires  careful  at- 
tention. Invading  homes  to  secure  information  con- 
cerning not  only  the  children  but  the  parents  themselves 
is  a  delicate  matter.  Sanitary  conditions,  economic 
status,  attitude  of  the  parents  toward  the  school,  and 
other  similar  things  constitute  the  necessary  facts  to  be 
learned.  If  parents  are  at  all  reluctant  to  give  infor- 
mation, it  requires  sympathetic  insight  and  rare  skill 
to  secure  the  necessary  responses.  This  requires  per- 
sons of  training  and  experience,  and  public  school  offi- 
cials are  coming  more  and  more  to  realize  this  fact. 
In  consequence  the  selection  of  persons  to  take  the 
census  is  receiving  far  more  consideration  than  for- 
merly. 

3.  The  third  line  of  development  has  to  do  with 
methods  of  tabulating  the  information  and  of  keeping 

214 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

the  records.  The  facts  must  be  properly  interpreted, 
made  readily  available,  and  put  into  permanent  form. 
The  form  in  which  the  records  are  kept  must,  in  effect, 
constitute  a  continuing  census  so  that  the  card  index 
or  other  method  of  keeping  the  record  will  permit  it 
to  be  kept  strictly  up  to  date. 

Making  the  school  accessible. — The  State  has  un- 
dertaken to  bring  the  school  to  the  children.  This  has 
been  accomplished  by  multiplying  schools  and  by  lo- 
cating them  in  such  manner  as  to  make  them  readily 
accessible.  A  further  step  has  recently  been  taken 
which  provides  means  of  transportation  at  State  ex- 
pense. Conditions  in  many  communities  are  not  alto- 
gether desirable,  but  on  the  whole  great  progress  has 
been  made  in  making  school  privileges  accessible  to  all 
the  children.  This  is  the  first  step  essential  in  any 
program  of  education  which  undertakes  to  make  edu- 
cational privileges  universal. 

Appeal  to  interest. — The  public  school  has  made 
successful  appeal  to  the  interest  of  parents  and  chil- 
dren. It  has  been  long  recognized  that  providing  ade- 
quate school  facilities  and  making  them  available  is  not 
sufficient.  Favorable  public  sentiment  is  absolutely 
essential.  Interest  in  education  must  be  aroused  and 
maintained.  Recognizing  this,  public-school  officials 
and  teachers  have  for  many  years  been  endeavoring 
to  arouse  and  maintain  widespread  and  permanent  in- 
terest. 

This  has  been  done  in  two  ways :  ( i )  Officials  have 
kept  the  schools  before  the  people.  The  benefits  of 
education  have  been  discussed  in  the  press  and  from 
the  pulpit  and  platform.  In  various  other  ways  the 
attention  of  the  people  has  been  centered  upon  the 
work  of  the  schools.     As  a  result  of  these  efforts, 

215 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

there  has  been  a  growing  interest  in  education  and  an 
increasing  appreciation  of  its  benefits.  This  develop- 
ment furnishes  one  of  the  most  significant  chapters 
in  the  history  of  American  education.  (2)  Education 
has  been  made  increasingly  worth  while.  This  has  been 
accomplished  by  constant  enrichment  of  curricula  and 
by  adapting  the  work  to  the  needs,  interests,  and 
capacities  of  children.  School  officials  and  teachers 
have  not  only  advertised  the  benefits  of  the  schools, 
which  is  essential,  but  they  have  delivered  the  goods. 
They  have  not  only  talked  about  the  benefits  of  edu- 
cation in  season  and  out  of  season,  but  have  made  it 
increasingly  beneficial.  Furthermore,  they  have  made 
it  more  and  more  attractive  to  the  children  themselves. 
Both  parents  and  children  have  thus  been  appealed  to 
and  an  increasingly  large  number  of  parents  have  come 
to  regard  it  as  their  duty  to  send  their  children  to 
school.  The  minority,  who  are  more  or  less  indifferent, 
are  powerfully  influenced  by  the  majority. 

The  children  themselves  are  an  important  factor  in 
this  relation.  If  the  work  seems  worth  while  to  them 
and  if  they  find  satisfaction  in  it,  they  commend  it  to 
other  children  who  are  not  in  school.  The  steadily 
growing  popularity  of  the  American  public  school  is 
due  in  no  small  measure  to  the  increasing  interest  on 
the  part  of  the  children.  They  have  been  responsible 
in  no  small  degree  for  an  increasing  enrollment  from 
year  to  year. 

Compulsory  attendance. — Compulsory  attendance 
laws  have  been  enacted  to  insure  full  enrollment.  Thes-e 
laws  have  been  slow  in  their  development  and  their 
enforcement  in  many  communities  is  more  or  less  neg- 
lected. In  fact,  in  a  very  large  number  of  communi- 
ties such  laws  are  quite  unnecessary  except  in  dealing 

216 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

with  exceptional  and  isolated  cases.  In  larger  centers 
of  population,  where  a  multitude  of  industries  employ 
child  labor,  these  laws  are  necessary  and  their  enforce- 
ment is  a  matter  of  great  aid  in  securing  school  enroll- 
ment. The  success  of  the  public  school,  however,  does 
not  rest  upon  these  laws.  They  are  merely  an  aid  in 
extreme  cases  of  indifference  and  neglect.  Public 
opinion — and  this  includes  children  as  well  as  adults — 
is  the  only  sure  foundation  upon  which  rests  the  suc- 
cess of  the  public  school.  In  fact,  this  is  the  only 
sure  foundation  upon  which  the  success  of  any  school 
can  rest  in  a  democracy  like  ours. 

ENROLLMENT   IN   CHURCH   AND   COMMUNITY   SCHOOLS 

The  foregoing  discussion  regarding  public  schools 
suggests  the  nature  of  the  problem  and  also  something 
of  the  technique  for  dealing  with  it.  It  need  not  be 
said  that  the  program  of  religious  education  should 
reach  literally  millions  of  children  who  are  not  now 
receiving  formal  religious  instruction  of  any  kind. 
It  cannot  do  this  unless  they  are  enrolled  in  schools 
maintained  by  the  church  or  other  agencies.  One  of 
the  outstanding  problems  confronting  all  those  who 
have  the  administrative  responsibility  for  religious  edu- 
cation is  to  secure  the  enrollment  of  large  numbers  who 
are  now  wholly  untouched  by  the  influence  of  reli- 
gious instruction.  In  so  far  as  the  methods  used  by 
public-school  administrators  are  applicable  they  should 
be  vigorously  applied. 

Compulsion  through  legal  procedure  of  any  sort  is, 
of  course,  impossible,  and,  in  any  event,  it  is  not  desir- 
able. As  pointed  out,  public-school  officials  recognize 
that  the  benefits  of  compulsory  attendance  laws  are 
extremely  limited.    They  have  their  place  in  a  demo- 

217 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

cratic  scheme  of  education,  but  their  function  is  rela- 
tively unimportant  as  compared  with  other  and  more 
effective  methods  of  securing  the  presence  of  children 
in  the  schools.  The  lack  of  such  means  to  secure  at- 
tendance upon  religious  instruction  is  not  a  severe 
handicap  and  the  advantage  of  the  public  school  in  this 
particular  is  not  as  great  as  it  may  seem  to  be  at  first 
thought.  Other  means,  all  of  which  are  available  in 
the  field  of  religious  education,  if  they  are  intelligently 
and  vigorously  applied,  will  secure  finally  an  enroll- 
ment which  will  include  multitudes  of  children  and 
youth  who  would  otherwise  receive  no  religious  train- 
ing. 

The  technique  employed  by  the  public  school  if 
properly  adapted  will  be  found  extremely  valuable. 
This  is  in  brief  as  follows:  (i)  A  survey  or  census 
to  secure  full  and  accurate  information  concerning  the 
pupil  population  of  the  community,  (2)  providing  ade- 
quate facilities  for  instruction  and  making  these  facili- 
ties readily  available,  and  (3)  arousing  interest  on  the 
part  of  both  parents  and  children  in  religious  education. 

Survey  necessary. — It  should  need  no  argument  to 
show  that  a  survey  or  census  to  get  the  facts  is  abso- 
lutely necessary.  Enrollment  in  schools  of  religious 
instruction  can  make  little  progress  until  this  informa- 
tion in  detail  is  available  to  the  administrators  and 
teachers  of  these  schools.  They  should  know  how 
many  children  and  youth  in  the  community  are  not 
enrolled  and  the  reasons  therefor.  It  is  true,  of  course, 
that  some  of  the  causes  of  indifference  or  antagonism 
may  be  beyond  the  control  of  those  who  are  responsi- 
ble for  securing  enrollment.  But  it  is  equally  true  that 
causes  cannot  be  modified  or  removed  until  they  are 
known.     How   many  pastors   or  superintendents   of 

218 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

Sunday  schools  or  directors  of  religious  education 
know  the  number  of  children  not  enrolled,  let  alone 
their  names  and  residences?  How  many  know  the 
causes  of  indifference  or  antagonism?  In  how  many 
cases  has  intelligent  effort  been  made  to  find  out  the 
facts?  It  is  safe  to  say  that  few  know  the  facts  and 
that  many  have  not  even  given  serious  attention  to 
their  significance.  The  interests  of  the  church  and  the 
larger  permanent  interests  of  the  community  demand 
that  this  matter  shall  have  the  attention  it  deserves. 

Adequate  facilities. — ^Inadequate  facilities  is  without 
doubt  one  of  the  reasons  why  many  children  are  not  re- 
ceiving religious  instruction.  The  membership  of  the 
church  is  widely  scattered  throughout  the  city  or  sur- 
rounding country  and  the  church  is  not  easily  accessible. 
In  many  cases  if  children  should  come  they  could  not 
be  enrolled  because  there  is  no  place  for  them.  Class- 
rooms are  overcrowded  and  no  serious  attempt  is  made 
to  make  room  for  those  already  enrolled,  to  say  nothing 
of  those  who  should  be.  The  policy  of  the  public  school 
to  take  educational  opportunity  to  the  children  and  to 
provide  for  all  of  them  is  one  which  should  be  adopted 
by  the  church.  As  already  pointed  out,  when  the  pub- 
lic school  cannot  take  school  to  the  children  it  trans- 
ports them  to  the  school.  The  important  point  is  to 
make  the  school  easily  accessible.  This  the  church 
must  do  in  far  larger  measure  than  it  is  now  doing. 

Interest  of  parents  and  pupils. — Interest  must  be 
aroused  and  maintained  in  religious  education.  The 
comparative  lack  of  interest  is  very  obvious.  This  is 
attested  not  only  by  the  enormous  number  of  children 
not  enrolled,  but  also  the  high  percentage  of  irregu- 
larity in  attendance.  It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the 
actual  enrollment,  both  because  of  the  lack  of  informa- 

219 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

tion  concerning  the  number  not  enrolled  and  accurate 
methods  in  keeping  records,  but  it  is  no  doubt  much 
less  than  the  reports  indicate. 

The  results  of  investigation  reveal  that  there  are 
approximately  twenty  million  children  in  the  United 
States  of  school  age.  Of  this  vast  number,  approxi- 
mately five  million,  or  only  twenty-five  per  cent,  are 
receiving  formal  religious  instruction.  The  percentage 
of  irregularity  of  attendance  is  equally  difficult  to 
ascertain.  Enough  facts  are  obtainable,  however,  to 
show  that  it  is  enormously  high.  A  study  based  upon 
obtainable  data  shows  that  the  average  attendance  of 
the  children  enrolled  is  less  than  thirty  one-hour  periods 
per  year.  Lack  of  interest  in  and  appreciation  of  the 
value  of  religious  instruction  is  the  fundamental  cause 
of  both  these  deficiencies. 

The  first  step  in  arousing  interest  on  the  part  of  both 
children  and  parents  is  to  present  a  more  worthy  pro- 
gram of  religious  instruction.  Like  the  public-school 
program,  it  must  make  a  more  compelling  appeal  to  the 
children  themselves.  It  must  be  better  adapted  to 
their  needs  and  capacities,  taught  by  more  competent 
teachers,  and  the  instruction  given  under  more  favor- 
able conditions.  Only  in  the  degree  that  these  results 
are  accomplished  do  we  have  a  right  to  expect  any 
great  enthusiasm  manifested  on  the  part  of  the  chil- 
dren. Exhortations  to  attend  Sunday  school  or  to 
be  prompt  and  regular  in  attendance  are  not  nearly  as 
effective  as  is  a  Sunday  school  which  commends  itself 
to  the  children  as  being  worth  while. 

The  second  thing  needed  is  to  get  this  program  to 
the  attention  of  parents  and  to  the  people  of  the  com- 
munity in  general.  So  many  things  now  demand  the 
attention  of  people  that  education,  like  everything  else, 

220 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

has  to  be  properly  advertised.  This  is  particularly 
true  of  religious  education.  Parents  are  now  generally 
committed  to  the  policy  of  seeing  to  it  that  their 
children  secure  an  education.  But  this  was  not  ac- 
complished in  a  day.  It  has  been  a  development  rather 
rapid  in  recent  years  and  not  yet  wholly  consummated. 
Religious  instruction  has  been  left  out  of  the  general 
scheme  and  by  many  is  regarded  as  of  secondary  im- 
portance, if,  indeed,  of  any  importance  at  all.  This 
situation  cannot  be  changed  immediately,  but  it  can  and 
must  be  changed  if  the  multitude  of  children  not  receiv- 
ing religious  instruction  are  to  receive  it.  Interest  in 
any  type  of  education  and  belief  in  its  value  on  the  part 
of  parents  and  the  public  in  general  is  fundamental 
in  any  attempt  to  secure  increased  enrollment.  This 
is  true  whether  the  type  of  education  be  civic,  voca- 
tional, or  religious. 

The  development,  then,  of  intelligent  public  opinion 
concerning  the  value  and  necessity  of  religious  instruc- 
tion is  imperative.  As  pointed  out,  the  program  must 
be  worthy  and  must  be  presented  to  the  people  insist- 
ently and  continuously  if  it  is  hoped  to  create  and  main- 
tain intelligent  interest.  It  is  the  business  of  the 
church  to  do  this  either  through  its  own  agencies 
or  through  other  agencies  maintained  by  cooperative 
effort.  These  agencies  were  discussed  in  previous  chap- 
ters and  the  matter  need  not  receive  further  attention 
here. 

REGULARITY  AND   PUNCTUALITY  IN   ATTENDANCE 

The  necessity  of  regularity  and  punctuality  should 
require  little  discussion.  So  fully  is  this  recognized 
in  the  field  of  public  education  that  it  is  conceded  with- 
out argument.    Attention  there  is  wholly  directed  to 

221 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

means  and  methods  of  securing  the  highest  possible 
percentage  of  regularity  and  punctuality.  Great  pro- 
gress has  been  made  in  this  respect  in  recent  years.  The 
average  daily  attendance  as  compared  with  enrollment 
has  constantly  increased. 

Irregularity  and  lack  of  punctuality. — The  same 
cannot  be  said  of  the  church  schools.  Records  are 
not  very  reliable  and  are  frequently  not  preserved  from 
year  to  year.  It  is  therefore  not  possible  to  secure 
exact  data  of  comparison.  This  can  be  said,  however, 
in  the  case  of  many  Sunday  schools :  If  attendance  were 
ever  more  irregular  than  now  and  if  the  cases  of  tardi- 
ness were  ever  more  numerous,  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
conceive  of  a  school  being  held  together  at  all  under 
such  conditions.  How  some  of  these  schools  survive 
under  present  conditions  it  is  difficult  to  see.  The  only 
possible  explanation  is  that  the  program  so  lacks 
vitaHty  and  the  work  which  the  children  lose  is  of  so 
little  importance  that  absence  or  tardiness  is  relatively 
a  matter  of  little  concern.  Perhaps  this  is  not  the  ex- 
planation, but  it  seems  to  be  the  only  possible  one. 
One  thing  is  certain,  and  that  is  that  no  vital,  worth- 
while program  of  education  can  long  stand  the  strain 
of  persistent  irregularity  and  lack  of  punctuality  on 
the  part  of  any  considerable  number  of  pupils. 

That  some  Sunday  schools  do  seem  to  be  able  to  stand 
the  strain,  only  makes  for  their  condemnation.  Be- 
cause of  the  intolerable  conditions  prevailing  in  many 
Sunday  schools  in  the  matter  of  irregularity  and  lack 
of  punctuality,  it  is  necessary  to  emphasize  the  impor- 
tance of  changing  these  conditions.  Such  schools  can 
accomplish  but  little  in  the  way  of  vital  religious  in- 
struction. Their  chief  result  is  to  encourage  the  for- 
mation of  bad  habits  in  the  children,  develop  attitudes 

222 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

of  indifference,  if  not  of  contempt  and  hostility  to  the 
church  and  its  agencies,  and  to  confirm  parents  in  their 
indifference  or  antagonism.  The  cause  of  reHgious  ed- 
ucation can  ill  afford  to  have  such  schools  continue  to 
misrepresent  its  interests.  If  reform  cannot  be  se- 
cured, the  value  of  their  continuance  is  doubtful.  But 
reform  is  possible  if  sufficient  interest  and  intelligence 
can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  situation. 

The  remedies  for  irregularity  and  lack  of  punctuality 
have  already  been  enumerated  in  part  and  discussed 
in  the  previous  section.  The  problems  involved  in  se- 
curing enrollment  and  regularity  and  punctuality  in 
attendance  are  closely  related.  The  causes  for  failure 
to  attend  school  at  all  and  to  attend  regularly  and 
punctually  are  in  part  identical. 

Interest  again. — ^Lack  of  interest  on  the  part  of 
parents  and  children  is  one  of  the  chief  causes.  If 
parents  do  not  regard  the  work  of  the  church  or  Sun- 
day school  important  enough  for  their  children  to  at- 
tend regularly  not  much  helpful  home  influence  can  be 
expected.  If  children  do  not  find  the  work  interesting 
and  attractive,  in  the  absence  of  parental  compulsion, 
they  will  be  irregular  and  finally  drop  out. 

Attitude  of  officers  and  teachers. — The  attitude 
and  example  of  officers  and  teachers  is  frequently  an- 
other cause.  If  they  are  irregular  in  attendance  and 
careless  in  the  matter  of  punctuality,  pupils  are  encour- 
aged to  be  irregular  and  careless.  It  not  infrequently 
happens  that  Sunday  school  classes  are  taught  quite 
as  often  by  supply  teachers  as  by  the  teachers  assigned 
to  the  classes.  This  can  have  but  one  result — irregu- 
larity on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  Teachers  should  either 
assume  their  responsibilities  or  resign.  If  they  do 
neither,  the  superintendent  should  take  appropriate  ac- 

223 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

tion.  The  fact  that  these  teachers  take  the  work  under 
protest  and  that  they  have  other  duties  which  claim 
their  time  and  attention  does  not  constitute  vaHd  rea- 
sons for  chronic  deHnquency.  In  the  name  of  the  cause 
of  rehgious  education  and  in  the  interests  of  the  boys 
and  girls  involved  they  should  do  their  work  effectively 
or  sever  their  relations  as  teachers. 

Appeal  of  the  school. — The  largest  factor  in  secur- 
ing regularity  and  punctuality  is  the  appeal  which  the 
school  makes  to  the  interest  and  loyalty  of  the  children. 
This  is  in  part  determined  by  the  work  of  instruction 
and  in  part  by  the  spirit  of  the  school  as  a  whole.  If 
the  child  is  not  conscious  that  he  loses  something  by 
being  absent  or  tardy,  he  is  not  much  impressed  by 
exhortation  even  if  oft  repeated.  In  the  public  school 
he  finds  that  missing  one  or  two  lessons  makes  con- 
siderable difference  in  his  progress.  When  he  returns 
assignments  are  more  difBcult  to  master  and  examina- 
tions which  lie  ahead  will  be  sure  to  vex  him.  If  no 
such  practical  considerations  obtain  in  the  Sunday 
school  or  week-day  school,  one  of  the  most  effective 
incentives  to  regularity  is  absent.  Or  if  lessons  are 
not  interesting  and  he  obtains  little  or  no  satisfaction 
in  their  mastery,  he  is  not  apt  to  be  very  particular 
about  missing  some  of  them.  The  sense  of  duty  is 
not  so  compelling  with  him  as  the  sense  of  loss  or  of 
satisfaction. 

The  spirit  of  the  school. — ^The  spirit  of  the  school 
as  a  whole  is  a  matter  of  great  importance.  If  the 
standards  set  are  high,  individual  conduct  will  be 
largely  influenced  thereby.  When  regularity  in  attend- 
ance is  the  rule,  pupils  inclined  to  be  delinquent  will  not 
be  so  apt  to  furnish  exceptions.  But  in  case  irregu- 
larity is  the  rule  pupils  not  inclined  to  be  delinquent  will 

224 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

also  be  less  apt  to  furnish  exceptions.  It  will  be  a 
long,  hard  task  for  some  schools  to  establish  right 
standards,  but  in  no  other  way  can  success  be  obtained. 
Children  have  formed  habits  of  irregularity,  and  still 
worse,  if  possible,  teachers  and  officials  have  done  like- 
wise. The  only  way  to  break  these  habits  is  to  secure 
reform  first  of  all  on  the  part  of  officers  and  teachers, 
tone  up  the  work  of  the  schools  by  making  its  pro- 
gram more  vital  and  attractive,  and  then  set  about  it 
vigorously  and  persistently  to  secure  habits  of  regular- 
ity and  punctuality  on  the  part  of  pupils. 

Cooperation  of  parents. — The  cooperation  of  par- 
ents is  essential  in  securing  regularity  and  punctuality 
in  attendance.  This  principle  is  fully  recognized  in 
the  field  of  public  education.  Public  schools  use  vari- 
ous devices  for  securing  effective  cooperation,  but  in 
all  cases  the  success  of  these  rests  primarily  upon  the 
interest  of  parents.  This  is  secured,  first  of  all,  by 
interest  being  manifested  by  the  school  in  such  way 
that  the  home  is  convinced  of  its  genuineness.  Par- 
ents should,  of  course,  be  notified  promptly  in  case  of 
delinquency  on  the  part  of  the  child.  Mere  notification, 
however,  is  not  sufficient.  In  most  cases,  so  far  as 
Sunday  school  attendance  is  concerned,  parents  know 
that  their  children  are  absent.  The  notification  serves 
as  a  reminder  and  also  indicates  the  interest  taken  in 
the  child  by  the  Sunday  school  officers  and  teachers. 
These  are  its  chief  values. 

These  formal  notifications  must  be  supplemented  by 
personal  visits  and  other  means  of  getting  into  sym- 
pathetic relation  with  parents.  Public  schools  are  em- 
phasizing the  importance  of  employing  one  or  more 
visiting  teachers ,  the  number  of  such  persons  depend- 
ing upon  the  need.     This  function  is  sometimes  per- 

225 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

formed  by  teachers  who  devote  part  of  their  time  to 
instruction.  In  other  cases  their  full  time  is  employed 
in  visiting  the  homes  and  in  keeping  in  touch  with  them 
in  other  ways.  The  purpose  is  to  secure  full  informa- 
tion concerning  causes  of  delinquency  and  to  establish 
cordial  and  sympathetic  relationships.  Remedies  can 
thus  be  determined  intelligently  and  applied  wisely. 

The  need  of  some  such  plan  is  obvious  in  the  case  of 
church  or  community  schools.  The  interest  of  home 
and  school  must  be  mutual.  One  of  the  important  fac- 
tors in  securing  the  interest  of  parents  in  the  school 
and  its  work  is  for  the  school  to  manifest  an  intelligent 
and  sympathetic  interest  in  the  home  and  its  problems. 
Successful  cooperation  is  impossible  without  mutual 
interest  and  understanding. 

Cooperation  of  other  schools. — Cooperation  of 
public  and  week-day  schools  is  essential.  The  organ- 
ization of  church  or  community  schools  for  week-day 
instruction  involves  the  necessity  of  close  cooperation 
in  the  matter  of  regularity  and  punctuality  in  attend- 
ance. If  time  is  granted  out  of  the  public  school  pro- 
gram for  children  to  receive  religious  instruction,  as 
has  been  done  in  Evanston,  Oak  Park  and  Batavia, 
Illinois,  Gary,  Indiana,  and  other  places,  such  coopera- 
tion is  imperative.  This  time  is  granted  on  the  as- 
sumption that  it  will  be  used  advantageously.  The  loss 
of  some  time  in  passing  from  one  school  to  the  other 
is  unavoidable,  but  the  amount  thus  consumed  should 
be  reduced  to  the  minimum.  The  time  schedule  for 
passing  from  one  school  to  the  other  should  be  care- 
fully worked  out  and  strictly  adhered  to.  Dismissals 
should  be  prompt  to  the  minute,  and  prompt  arrivals 
should  be  insisted  upon  by  each  school. 

The  problem  of  securing  regularity  in  attendance 
226 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

also  requires  cooperation.  There  will  be  a  tendency  on 
the  part  of  some  children  to  play  truant,  and  this  can 
be  avoided  only  by  a  close  checking  up  system.  Since 
the  church  or  community  school  will  probably  be  at- 
tended by  only  part  of  the  public  school  children,  these 
will  be  more  apt  to  attempt  to  play  truant  than  in  the 
case  of  the  public  school.  If  for  example  they  are 
excused  from  the  public  school  for  one  hour  to  attend 
the  church  or  community  school,  and  then  return  to  the 
former,  there  will  be  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  some 
children  to  use  the  hour  in  some  other  way.  In  case 
this  is  the  last  hour  of  the  school  day  the  tendency  will 
be  increased.  In  any  event,  close  sympathetic  coopera- 
tion will  be  required  at  all  times  between  the  admin- 
istrators and  teachers  of  both  schools. 

GRADATION  AND  PROMOTION^ 

The  ungraded  school  is  a  thing  of  the  past  so  far  as 
educational  theory  is  concerned.  The  question  whether 
a  school  should  be  graded  is  no  longer  debatable.  The 
only  question  is  how  to  grade  the  work  so  that  it  will 
best  meet  the  varying  needs,  interests,  and  Capacities 
of  children.^  This  presents  a  rather  complex  problem 
and  a  great  deal  of  attention  is  now  being  directed  to 
its  solution. 

In  the  field  of  religious  education  the  problem  is 
peculiarly  difficult,  especially  in  relation  to  week-day 
instruction,  because  so  little  experience  is  available  as 
a  guide.  Much  attention  has  been  given  to  the  matter 
in  the  Sunday  school  and  in  many  schools  the  work  is 
still  poorly  graded.  In  both  week-day  and  Sunday 
schools,  work  is  being  carried  on  under  conditions 

1  Bennett,  H.  E.,  School  Efficiency,  Chap.  XIII. 

'Cubberly,  E.  P.,  Public  School  Administraiion,  Chap.  XVIII. 

227 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

which  would  be  regarded  as  intolerable  by  the  public 
schools.  It  is  imperative  that  these  conditions  be 
changed,  and  not  much  success  in  these  schools  can 
be  hoped  for  until  this  is  accomplished. 

Proper  grading. — Two  things  are  involved  in  the 
proper  gradation  of  any  school : 

I.  The  curriculum  must  be  graded  on  a  basis  of 
adapting  the  work  to  the  various  stages  of  child  de- 
velopment. This  is  accomplished,  first  of  all,  by  estab- 
lishing units  of  instruction  corresponding  to  the  school 
or  pedagogical  age  of  children.  The  first  grade 
thus  corresponds  to  the  first  year  in  school,  the  sec- 
ond grade  to  the  second  year,  and  so  on.  This  ar- 
rangement assumes  that  children  who  are  spending 
their  first  year  in  school  belong  together,  and  that 
those  spending  the  second  year  or  any  subsequent 
year  likewise  belong  in  the  same  instructional  group. 
This  also  involves  the  assumption  that  the  children  in 
the  same  instructional  group  are  approximately  of  the 
same  chronological  age.  At  most  not  more  than  one- 
year  spread  is  contemplated.  The  following  shows  the 
age  groupings  in  the  public  school : 

Grade  Ages  Grade  Ages 


I 

^7 

7 

12-13 

2 

7-8 

8 

13-14 

3 

8-9 

9 

14-15 

4 

9-IO 

lO 

15-16 

5 

lO-II 

II 

16-17 

6 

II-I2 

12 

17-18 

This  plan  is  now  quite  universally  accepted  and  is 
carried  out  in  practice  wherever  conditions  will  permit. 
It  is  assumed  that  children  who  have  been  in  school  two 
years  do  not  belong  in  the  same  group  with  those  who 

228 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

have  been  in  school  but  one  year,  or  three  years.  Like- 
wise, those  who  are  eight  years  of  age  do  not  belong 
with  those  who  are  six  or  ten.  This  principle,  which 
recognizes  the  importance  of  both  age  and  school  ex- 
perience, is  firmly  established. 

2.  Provision  must  be  made  to  adapt  the  work  to 
the  needs  and  capacities  of  individuals  and  groups 
within  the  larger  group  constituting  the  grade.  To 
assume  that  all  children  of  the  same  age  and  school 
experience  are  capable  of  doing  the  same  amount  or 
kind  of  work,  or  both,  is  an  error.  No  two  children 
have  exactly  the  same  capabilities,  but  individual  in- 
struction is  impossible  even  if  desirable,  and  some  kind 
of  regrouping  must  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  secure 
proper  adaptation.  This  is  accomplished  by  a  classi- 
fication of  pupils  of  each  grade  into  two  or  three 
groups.  This  kind  of  classification  is  now  being  se- 
cured in  the  public  schools  where  such  a  plan  is  possi- 
ble. The  reason  for  this  is  that  a  careful  testing  of 
pupils  shows  clearly  that  they  fall  into  three  rather 
well-defined  groups.  The  methods  of  testing  will  be 
discussed  later. 

These  tests,  which  have  been  used  in  a  large  number 
of  schools,  show  that  the  work  is  fairly  well  adapted  to 
a  majority  of  the  children,  and  we  may  well  call  this 
the  normal  group.  This  we  may  designate  as  the  B 
group  and  usually  constitutes  about  sixty  per  cent  of 
the  children.  They  are  doing  the  work  satisfactorily 
without  any  undue  strain,  and  we  may  therefore  con- 
clude that  it  is  fairly  well  adapted  to  their  capacities. 
A  considerable  number  of  the  children  are  found  for 
whom  the  work  is  not  well  adapted  because  too  difficult, 
and  we  may  designate  these  as  the  C  group.  They 
constitute  about  twenty  per  cent  of  the  entire  grade. 

229 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

The  remaining  twenty  per  cent  are  found  to  be  above 
normal  in  ability,  and  these  constitute  the  A  group. 
This  attempt  to  classify  pupils  within  each  grade  ac- 
curately and  systematically  is  already  showing  splen- 
did results  in  reducing  the  number  eliminated  from  the 
schools  and  also  the  number  retarded  in  their  work. 
Standards  in  grading  pupils. — The  standards  or 
criteria  for  grading  pupils  and  also  for  classifying 
them  within  the  grades  are  now  being  worked  out  on  a 
scientific  basis  and  may  be  regarded  as  fairly  reliable. 
They  are  as  follows : 

1.  The  chronological  age  of  children.  We  assume, 
for  example,  that  the  child  six  to  seven  years  of  age 
belongs  to  the  first  grade  if  he  is  normal.  It  is  neces- 
sary, however,  to  determine  as  definitely  as  possible 
who  belong  in  this  group  and  also  those  who  constitute 
the  groups  below  and  above  normal.  We  also  need  to 
know  the  causes  responsible  for  the  fact  that  some  are 
below  and  others  above  the  average  ability  of  the 
grade. 

2.  The  physical  or  anatomical  age}  This  in  many 
cases  does  not  correspond  to  the  chronological  ages. 
We  should  not  be  concerned  with  this  matter  here  ex- 
cept for  the  fact  that  a  child  who  is  retarded  or  accel- 
erated physically  is  also  frequently  retarded  or  accel- 
erated mentally.  Anatomical  age  can  easily  be  deter- 
mined by  certain  tests  which  are  now  being  success- 
fully used  by  public  schools. 

3.  The  mental  age.^  This  is  a  matter  which  fortu- 
nately is  receiving  much  attention  at  the  present  time. 
Real  differences  exist  in  children,  not  only  in  kinds  of 
ability  which  they  possess  but  also  in  amount  of  what 

»Cf.  Woodrow,  Herbert,  Brightness  and  Dullness  in  Children,  Chap.  VI. 
«C£.  Tennon.  L.  M.,  The  Intelligence  of  School  Children,  Chap.  I. 

230 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

we  call  native  ability.  In  other  words,  there  are  differ- 
ent degrees  of  intelligence.  This  is  due  in  part  to  dif- 
ferences in  mental  age.  A  pupil,  for  example,  may 
be  twelve  years  of  age  chronologically  speaking,  but 
does  not  manifest  a  degree  of  intelligence  higher  than 
a  normal  child  of  nine  years.  It  is  entirely  clear  that 
adaptation  of  work  is  not  possible  in  the  absence  of 
accurate  knowledge  of  mental  abilities  of  children.  In- 
telligence tests  of  various  sorts  are  now  being  used 
with  considerable  success  in  securing  this  knowledge. 
They  are  not  entirely  perfected,  and  they  must  be  ap- 
plied by  people  who  know  how  to  use  them.  But  they 
are  being  found  useful  and  will  no  doubt  be  relied 
upon  more  and  more  in  determining  differences  in  de- 
gree of  native  ability. 

4.  The  achievements  of  pupils  in  their  school  work. 
It  is  necessary  not  only  to  find  out  the  native  abilities 
of  pupils,  but  also  to  ascertain  accurately  what  they 
have  actually  achieved  in  their  school  work.  Various 
standardized  tests  have  been  worked  out  for  this  pur- 
pose. Tests  in  reading,  both  oral  and  silent,  spelling, 
writing,  arithmetic,  language  and  the  like  are  now 
being  used  to  determine  as  accurately  as  possible  the 
abilities  of  pupils  as  shown  by  their  success  in  perform- 
ing assigned  tasks.  These  tests  are  proving  useful  in 
determining  questions  of  gradation  and  promotion  and 
in  making  proper  adaptation  of  the  work  to  needs  and 
capacities  of  pupils. 

5.  Personal  characteristics  of  pupils  determined  by 
the  teacher  s  judgment.  The  personal  equation  is  al- 
ways a  large  factor  in  education  regardless  of  the 
angle  from  which  we  are  viewing  its  processes.  There 
are  certain  qualities  of  personality  which  are  best  found 
out  by  sympathetic   personal  contact   with   children. 

231 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Both  mental  and  achievement  tests  are  useful  in  this 
relation,  but  they  must  be  supplemented  by  daily  obser- 
vation of  the  pupil  at  work  upon  the  actual  tasks  of 
the  school  and  in  play  activities  during  leisure  hours. 
Teachers  are  best  qualified  to  do  this  both  because  of 
their  contact  with  the  pupils  and  their  training  and 
experience.  Public-school  administrators  have  come  to 
recognize  the  importance  of  the  teacher's  judgment 
provided  she  knows  what  kind  of  information  is  use- 
ful and  how  to  secure  it. 

General  impressions  secured  in  a  haphazard  way, 
colored  more  or  less  by  the  teacher's  moods  and  preju- 
dices, are  of  little  value.  What  is  needed  is  accurate 
information  based  upon  sympathetic  observation 
guided  by  definite  objectives  to  be  attained.  In  view 
of  this,  teachers  are  now  being  trained  in  securing 
specific  information  relating  to  certain  characteristics 
of  pupils.  The  list  is  rather  long,  but  the  following  are 
among  the  most  important:  a.  Attitude  toward  the 
school  and  more  particularly  the  work  of  the  class 
room.  Does  the  pupil  like  school  or  dislike  it?  Is  he 
interested  in  his  work  or  indifferent  toward  it?  b. 
Degree  of  independence  and  initiative  manifested.  Can 
he  work  independently  or  does  he  rely  largely  upon  imi- 
tating the  teacher  and  other  pupils  ?  Does  he  attack  an 
assignment  when  made  or  waste  time  in  getting  under 
way  ?  c.  Degree  of  industry  and  persistence  displayed. 
Does  he  work  or  dawdle  ?  Is  he  steady  in  his  work  or 
does  he  go  by  fits  and  starts?  Does  he  persist  in  the 
face  of  difficulties  or  is  he  easily  discouraged  by  them? 
d.  Dominant  interests  in  and  out  of  school.  What  are 
the  subjects  and  activities  in  school  which  make  the 
most  successful  appeal?  Do  the  outside  interests  in- 
terfere with  success  in  school  or  promote  it  ? 

232 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

These  are  some  of  the  things  upon  which  the 
teacher's  judgment  is  desired  in  order  to  supplement 
the  information  secured  by  the  various  tests  already- 
discussed.  Public-school  administrators  thus  secure 
information  concerning  the  pupil's  native  ability,  his 
degree  of  success  in  the  work  of  the  school  which  he  is 
attempting  to  do,  and  his  personal  characteristics  which 
promote  or  interfere  with  his  success.  Gradation, 
classification,  and  promotion  cannot  be  secured  intelli- 
gently in  the  absence  of  such  information. 

Proper  classification. — The  fact  that  pupils  are 
grouped  according  to  their  ages  has  already  been 
pointed  out.  This  plan  takes  care  of  the  majority  of 
the  pupils  who  constitute  the  normal  group.  Those 
whose  ability  falls  below  or  rises  above  the  norm  are 
then  provided  for  by  making  such  adaptations  in  the 
work  as  may  be  necessary.  They  are  allowed  to  go  more 
slowly  or  proceed  more  rapidly;  the  amount  of  work 
covered  by  group  a  is  greater  in  a  given  time  than  the 
amount  covered  by  group  b  and  a  less  amount  is  cov- 
ered by  group  c;  or  the  character  of  the  work  assigned 
to  group  a  is  more  difficult  and  to  group  c  less  difficult 
than  the  work  of  group  b}  It  is  not  desirable  here  to 
go  into  the  details  of  this  matter.  The  important 
thing  is  the  great  significance  now  being  attached  to 
the  proper  gradation  of  pupils  and  to  the  matter  of 
their  promotion  from  one  grade  to  another. 

Proper  adaptation  of  the  work  to  the  needs,  interests, 
and  capacities  of  pupils  is  sought  at  all  times.  Public- 
school  administrators  realize  that  much  of  the  success 
of  the  school  depends  upon  the  degree  of  success  at- 
tained in  securing  necessary  adaptations. 

iDutton,  Samuel  F.,  and  Snedden,  David,  Administration  of  Public  Education  in 
tht  United  States,  Chap.  XIX. 

233 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Application  to  religious  education. — The  use  of 

objective  standards  for  determining  not  only  the  men- 
tal abilities  of  children  but  also  their  dominant  inter- 
ests and  personal  characteristics  marks  a  great  forward 
movement  in  education.  Accurate  information  con- 
cerning children  enrolled  in  Sunday  and  week-day 
schools  is  on  file  in  many  public  schools  and  can  be 
made  available.  In  case  such  information  is  not  avail- 
able, those  who  are  responsible  for  the  religious  in- 
struction and  nurture  of  children  should  make  use  of 
these  standards.  Adaptations  will  have  to  be  made  in 
their  use,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  this  can- 
not be  done  successfully. 

Additional  standards  needed. — The  standards  dis- 
cussed above  should  be  supplemented  by  other  tests 
which  will  aid  in  determining  the  moral  and  religious 
needs,  interests,  and  capacities  of  children.  We  have 
too  long  merely  guessed  at  what  these  are.  Most  peo- 
ple no  longer  hold  that  children  are  inherently  bad. 
Few  would  contend  that  their  original  natures  are  such 
as  to  render  them  incapable  of  moral  and  religious  im- 
provement through  education.  But  some  of  the  as- 
sumptions concerning  the  moral  and  religious  status  of 
children  which  are  determining  our  practice  in  dealing 
with  them  may  be  quite  as  erroneous  as  some  of  the 
doctrines  we  have  discarded.  These  assumptions  may 
be  quite  as  wide  of  the  truth  as  the  doctrine  of  natural 
depravity  and  the  contention  that  morals  and  religion 
cannot  be  taught. 

We  need  to  know  far  more  accurately  than  now  ob- 
tains the  actual  moral  and  religious  needs,  interests, 
and  capacities  of  children.  Fortunately,  efforts  are 
already  being  made  to  formulate  adequate  standards 
for  use  in  ascertaining  the  facts.     Some  measure  of 

234 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

success  has  already  been  achieved  in  this  direc- 
tion. This  work  must  be  carried  forward  if  we 
hope  to  enlarge  and  vitalize  our  programs  of  moral  and 
religious  education.  It  can  be  carried  forward  suc- 
cessfully only  by  those  whose  own  religious  life  and 
experience  will  insure  sympathetic  treatment  and  whose 
training  will  secure  scientific  mode  of  procedure.  Re- 
ligion and  science  are  in  no  way  opposed  at  this  point. 
One  without  the  other  can  accomplish  little.  Both 
working  together  can  make  a  significant  contribution 
not  only  to  the  church  but  to  the  whole  program  of 
moral  and  social  progress. 

Gradation  and  promotion  in  religious  education. — 
It  is  obvious  that  many  Sunday  and  week-day  schools 
are  not  properly  graded.  The  usual  practice  in  the  lat- 
ter is  to  place  the  pupils  coming  from  the  first  and  sec- 
ond grades  of  the  public  schools  in  group  I,  those 
from  the  third  and  fourth  grades  in  group  II,  and  so 
on.  This  may  be  and  no  doubt  is  necessary  in  some 
cases  as  a  temporary  expedient.  The  reasons  for  this 
have  already  been  pointed  out  in  a  previous  chapter. 
Such  an  arrangement  should  not  be  regarded  as  perma- 
nent. Experience  has  already  proved  the  impossibility 
of  any  degree  of  permanence  in  such  a  plan. 

This  is  particularly  true  as  it  applies  to  the  lower 
grades  of  the  public  schools  and  more  particularly  to 
the  first  two  grades.  The  difference  in  the  abilities  of 
children  of  these  grades  is  g^reater  than  that  of  any 
other  two  grades  of  the  school.  When  it  is  at  all  pos- 
sible to  secure  it  the  plan  of  gradation  obtaining  in  the 
public  schools  should  be  followed.  This  statement  ap- 
plies to  the  whole  plan  of  gradation  either  in  the 
Sunday  or  week-day  school.  A  departure  from  the 
plan,  however,  in  case  of  the  children  enrolled  in  the 

235 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

upper  grades  is  less  objectionable  than  in  the  lower 
grades. 

Much  improvement  has  been  secured  in  the  grading 
of  Sunday  school  pupils  in  the  last  few  years.  The 
results  of  this  good  work  should  not  be  underestimated, 
neither  should  they  blind  us  to  the  actual  situation.  A 
great  many  are  poorly  graded,  and  many,  indeed,  have 
only  a  mere  semblance  of  gradation  of  pupils.  The 
departmental  plan  cannot  take  the  place  of  a  more 
minute  separation  of  pupils  into  groups  which  in- 
clude only  those  of  approximately  the  same  school 
age  and  experience.  The  departmental  plan  and 
proper  gradation  are  not  mutually  exclusive.  The 
point  here  is  that  the  former  does  not  and  cannot  pro- 
vide the  latter.  This,  beyond  question,  has  been  proved 
by  experience. 

Means  of  improving  conditions. — The  first  step  in 
securing  improvement  is  to  recognize  more  fully  its 
imperative  need  and  that  it  is  possible  to  secure  it. 
Until  those  who  are  responsible  for  the  lack  of  proper 
gradation  of  the  schools  realize  that  conditions  are 
both  intolerable  and  unnecessary  not  much  will  be  ac- 
complished. The  need  for  radical  readjustments  is 
entirely  obvious  to  those  who  are  at  all  conversant  with 
modern  educational  practice.  Those  who  are  unfa- 
miliar with  the  prevailing  practice  in  respectable  edu- 
cational institutions  of  all  sorts  are  not  competent, 
of  course,  to  organize  and  supervise  religious  instruc- 
tion. 

The  difficulty  in  many  cases,  however,  is  not  lack  of 
information  concerning  educational  practice  in  general, 
but  in  the  failure  to  apply  the  standards  to  the  Sunday 
school.  Those  in  charge  of  the  school  either  do  not  take 
its  work  seriously  or  believe  that  success  is  possible  un- 

236 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

der  conditions  which  violate  every  pedagogical  principle 
which  controls  practice  in  every  other  kind  of  edu- 
cational institution.  Full  recognition  of  the  imperative 
need  of  reorganization  must  be  accompanied  by  a  real- 
ization that  it  is  in  all  cases  possible.  Conditions  are 
rarely  so  unfavorable  in  any  school  that  a  considerable 
degree  of  improvement  is  not  attainable.  In  many 
schools  where  conditions  are  now  very  unfavorable 
much  improvement  is  possible.  Small  numbers,  irregu- 
lar attendance,  inadequate  classrooms,  and  lack  of  prop- 
erly graded  subject-matter  are  all  severe  handicaps. 
They  can,  however,  be  largely  overcome  if  we  set  about 
the  task  courageously  to  secure  proper  gradation  of  our 
schools  attempting  to  give  religious  instruction.  This 
change  of  attitude  with  respect  to  the  need  of  reor- 
ganization and  the  possibility  of  securing  it  is  essential. 
But  there  are  certain  specific  means  of  improving  con- 
ditions. 

Public-school  practice  in  matters  of  gradation  and 
classification  suggests  a  basis  of  procedure  to  both  Sun- 
day schools  and  week-day  schools.  Plans  cannot  be 
taken  over  and  used  without  some  modification  in  many 
cases.  But  the  grouping  of  children  should  not  and 
need  not  be  radically  different  from  the  prevailing  prac- 
tice in  public  schools. 

The  criteria  used  by  the  public  schools  for  determin- 
ing gradations  and  promotions  are  also  available  for 
use  in  the  Sunday  and  week-day  schools.  In  the  bet- 
ter class  of  public  schools  information  is  kept  on  file 
concerning  the  physical  condition  and  mental  abilities 
of  children  which  can  be  readily  secured.  In  this  way 
administrators  and  teachers  of  religious  education  may 
become  as  thoroughly  informed  as  are  those  having 
charge  of  the  work  of  the  public  schools.    It  is  not  to 

237 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

be  expected  that  the  various  tests  employed  by  the  pub- 
lic schools  can  at  present  be  used  without  modification 
and  adaptation  by  the  Sunday  and  week-day  schools, 
but  the  results  obtained  by  their  use  in  the  public 
schools  are  available,  and  this  is  the  important  thing. 
An  intelligent  basis  may  thus  be  secured  for  making 
such  readjustments  as  are  needed  in  so  far  as  read- 
justments are  possible. 

The  present  ill-adapted  and  badly  organized  subject- 
matter  being  used  in  many  schools  need  not  be  perma- 
nent. The  public  schools  have  finally  secured  much 
improvement  in  the  adaptation  of  work,  and  progress 
in  this  direction  is  still  being  made.  There  is  no  reason 
why  equally  well  adapted  material  may  not  be  pro- 
vided for  the  Sunday  and  week-day  schools.  This  can- 
not be  completely  consummated  immediately.  Much 
progress  has  already  been  made  and  still  further  prog- 
ress is  entirely  possible.  The  outlook  in  this  respect 
is  very  promising. 

In  case  that  classrooms  are  not  available  in  sufficient 
number  to  permit  the  isolation  of  groups  by  grades, 
and  two  or  more  grades  have  to  occupy  the  same  room, 
it  is  still  much  better  to  secure  proper  gradation. 
But  insufficient  classrooms  in  most  cases  need  not  be  a 
permanent  handicap.  Churches  can  and  will  provide 
adequate  room  facilities  when  they  have  come  to  take 
the  work  of  religious  instruction  seriously.  This  will 
come  all  the  more  quickly  if  the  proper  gradation  of 
the  pupils  makes  the  need  apparent. 

Small  enrollment  in  a  Sunday  school  composed  of 
pupils  of  all  ages  presents  a  real  difficulty  in  securing 
proper  gradation.  The  best  remedy  for  this  is  to  secure 
increase  of  enrollment,  and  in  many  cases  this  is 
entirely  possible.     This  has  been  discussed  in  a  pre- 

238 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

vious  section.  Where  this  is  not  possible  one  of  two 
alternatives  is  open:  The  consolidation  of  two  or 
more  small  schools  in  case  two  or  more  churches  main- 
tain schools  in  the  same  community.  This  cannot  be 
done,  of  course,  except  by  mutual  agreement.  It 
seems  that  such  an  arrangement  is  entirely  feasible 
unless  great  differences  exist  in  matters  of  doctrines, 
sacraments,  and  the  like. 

The  other  alternative — and  this  will  probably  be 
chosen  in  most  cases — is  to  secure  superior  teaching 
of  a  group  too  small  to  divide  and  composed  of  pupils 
of  various  ages  and  abilities.  No  teaching,  however 
superior  it  may  be,  can  take  the  place  of  proper  grada- 
tion of  pupils.  But  it  goes  a  long  ways  in  the  direction 
of  securing  adaptation.  The  smallness  of  the  group 
makes  this  possible  in  much  greater  degree  than  would 
be  possible  in  case  of  a  larger  group. 

RETARDATION   AND   ELIMINATION    OF    PUPILS 

One  of  the  problems  with  which  public  schools  have 
to  deal  is  the  large  percentage  of  pupils  who  are  re- 
tarded in  their  work.  This  means  that  children  who 
should  be  found  in  grade  six,  for  example,  are  in 
grade  five  or  four.  They  have  failed  to  be  promoted 
and  have  fallen  one  or  more  years  behind  their  class- 
mates. The  most  potent  cause  of  this  is  lack  of  adap- 
tation of  the  work  to  their  needs  and  capacities.  This 
constitutes  a  real  problem  and  the  effort  is  widespread 
and  persistent  to  reduce  the  number  of  retarded  pupils 
to  the  minimum.^ 

Unfortunately  many  Sunday  schools  have  no  such 
problem.  It  might  seem,  therefore,  that  the  subject 
would  need  no  discussion.    If  the  cause  of  the  absence 

^Woodrow,  Herbert,  Brightness  and  Dullness  in  Children,  Chap.  VII. 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

of  this  problem  were  found  in  the  perfect  adjustment 
of  work  to  the  needs  and  capacities  of  all  the  children, 
then  no  discussion  would  be  necessary.  But  this  is  not 
the  case.  The  reason  why  we  have  no  failures  in  pro- 
motion, or  comparatively  few,  is  that  we  have  no  well- 
defined  standards  of  work.  In  the  public  school  def- 
inite tasks  are  assigned  and  pupils  are  carefully  tested 
to  ascertain  how  well  the  tasks  have  been  performed. 
Certain  standards  of  work  must  be  met.  Failure  to 
meet  these  standards  means  that  the  pupils  are  not 
qualified  to  do  the  work  of  the  next  higher  grade  and 
they  are  not  promoted.  It  also  means  that  they  have 
failed  to  master  something  which  would  be  of  such 
value  to  them  if  mastered  that  they  must  be  required 
to  repeat  the  work.  It  is  highly  desirable,  of  course, 
to  reduce  the  number  of  failures  to  the  minimum.  But 
the  remedy  for  the  high  percentage  of  failures  is  not  to 
abandon  standards,  or  even  to  lower  them.  It  is  found, 
rather,  in  better  adapting  the  work  and  in  better 
teaching. 

Need  of  standards. — Sunday  school  standards  are 
so  indefinite  and  so  carelessly  applied  that  either  success 
or  failure  is  largely  undetermined.  Neither  the  ease 
nor  the  difficulty  of  the  work  is  checked  up  in  any  def- 
inite way,  and  little  or  no  adjustment  of  tasks  to  needs 
and  capacities  is  possible.  The  bright  and  the  dull,  the 
industrious  and  the  lazy,  those  who  achieve  something 
and  those  who  do  not,  are  thus  kept  indiscriminately 
together  in  the  same  class. 

This  practice  can  result  only  harmfully  to  all  the 
pupils  concerned.  Since  the  work  is  not  standardized 
it  is  too  easy  for  some  and  therefore  receives  neither 
attention  nor  effort.  For  others  it  is  too  difficult,  and 
in  the  absence  of  any  adequate  stimulus  to  make  a 

240 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

trial  we  get  the  same  result.  In  the  meantime  the 
teacher  is  largely  in  the  dark  concerning  the  whole 
situation.  It  is  not  desired,  of  course,  to  increase  the 
number  of  those  who  fail  of  promotion.  But  it  is 
imperative  that  the  work  be  standardized  and  that  ade- 
quate tests  to  determine  achievement  be  worked  out  and 
appHed.  Only  thus  is  it  possible  to  adapt  religious 
instruction  to  the  needs  and  capacities  of  the  children. 

The  problem  of  elimination. — The  problem  of 
elimination  is  one  in  which  Sunday  school  administra- 
tors and  teachers  are  vitally  interested.  The  necessity 
of  securing  a  much  larger  enrollment  has  already  been 
discussed.  The  immediate  discussion  is  concerned  with 
keeping  the  children  when  once  enrolled.  Unfortu- 
nately, anything  like  exact  data  is  not  available.  But 
it  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  the  number 
who  drop  out  of  our  Sunday  schools  is  enormously 
large.  This  fact  is  so  well  established  that  no  com- 
ment is  needed.  The  only  question  for  us  is  how  to 
keep  a  larger  number  of  children  and  youth  in  our  Sun- 
day schools.  The  mode  of  procedure  seems  reason- 
ably clear. 

Causes  determined. — The  causes  of  elimination 
should  be  accurately  determined.  It  is  highly  probable 
that  the  same  causes  which  account  for  failure  to  enroll 
and  for  irregularity  and  lack  of  punctuality  are  largely 
responsible  for  dropping  out  of  school.  They  have 
already  been  considered  in  some  detail,  and  if  causes 
other  than  these  exist,  they  should  be  discovered.  The 
most  potent  reason  why  children  drop  out  of  Sunday 
school  is  no  doubt  lack  of  interest  either  on  their  part 
or  on  the  part  of  their  parents,  or  both.  The  causes 
responsible  for  this  should  be  clearly  ascertained  and 
removed  if  possible. 

241 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

Remedies  applied. — Better  means  of  securing  the 
continuance  of  children  in  the  schools  need  to  be  de- 
vised. This  is  a  subject  which  requires  careful  and 
persistent  study  on  the  part  of  officers  and  teacher s^ 
Causes  of  elimination  must  be  dealt  with  sympathetic- 
ally and  intelligently.  Curricula  should  be  made  more 
vital  and  interesting.  Parents  should  be  appealed  to 
on  the  basis  of  the  welfare  of  their  children.  The 
whole  life  of  the  school  may  need  reorganization  to 
secure  greater  loyalty  on  the  part  of  both  teachers  and 
pupils.  What  we  call  a  proper  school  spirit  is  the 
largest  single  factor  to  be  taken  into  account. 

SCHOOL  DISCIPLINE 

No  problem  connected  with  the  management  of 
pupils  is  more  important  than  that  of  discipline,  A 
school  in  which  bad  conditions  exist  as  to  order  is  a 
poor  school.  Nothing  can  compensate  for  disorder. 
Regular  attendance,  properly  selected  curricula,  and 
use  of  correct  methods  in  teaching  are  of  little  avail 
in  a  school  where  disorder  prevails.  Judged  by  this 
standard,  many  Sunday  schools  fail  in  large  measure  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  a  good  school.  Noise  and 
confusion  are  so  prevalent  that  orderly  procedure  is 
quite  out  of  the  question.  There  are,  of  course,  ex- 
ceptions, but  for  a  large  number  of  schools  this  state- 
ment holds  true.  Such  conditions  are  intolerable  and 
wholly  unnecessary. 

The  public  schools  deal  with  the  same  children,  and 
for  the  most  part  these  schools  are  orderly.  The  rea- 
son for  this  is  that  they  take  pains  to  be  so.  On  the 
contrary,  many  Sunday  schools  do  not.  They  appear 
to  accept  disorder  as  a  matter  of  course. 

242 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

Causes  of  poor  discipline*. — The  chief  causes  of 
the  prevalent  disorder  in  Sunday  schools  are  as  fol- 
lows :  ( I )  Frequently  several  classes  occupy  the  same 
room  and  pupils  and  teachers  enter  into  a  competitive 
struggle  to  be  heard.  (2)  Unskilled  teachers  fail  to 
command  the  attention  and  respect  of  their  pupils.  (3) 
Seats  are  poorly  adapted  to  the  comfort  of  children. 
Loose  benches  and  chairs  are  frequently  used  and  are 
fruitful  sources  of  distraction.  (4)  General  exercises 
are  adapted  neither  to  the  interests  nor  capacities  of 
the  children.  (5)  A  "fashion"  of  disorder  prevails 
throughout  the  school.  This  condition  is  too  often  ac- 
cepted without  protest.  If  protest  is  made  by  the  pre- 
siding officer,  it  is  usually  formal,  perfunctory  and  only 
adds  to  the  prevailing  confusion.  (6)  Lack  of  under- 
standing on  the  part  of  administrators  and  teachers 
of  the  meaning  and  importance  of  school  discipline  is 
a  fruitful  source  of  disorder. 

These  causes  can  all  be  removed,  or  at  least  modi- 
fied so  that  conditions  will  become  greatly  improved. 
We  can  secure  classrooms  in  sufficient  numbers  and 
properly  equip  them.  Trained  teachers  will  be  avail- 
able if  we  provide  adequate  training  facilities.  Gen- 
eral exercises  can  be  so  planned  and  carried  out  as  to 
promote  order  instead  of  inviting  disorder.  The 
"fashion"  of  good  order  is  entirely  possible.^  There  is 
absolutely  no  reason  why  it  should  not  prevail  in  Sun- 
day schools  as  well  as  in  public  schools.  The  accom- 
plishment of  all  these  things,  however,  is  conditioned 
upon  a  proper  understanding  of  the  meaning  and  im- 
portance of  a  well-disciplined  school.  This  becomes 
clear  when  we  consider  the  function  of  discipline. 

»Baglcy,  W.  C.  School  Discipline,  Chaps.  II,  III. 
*Jhid.,  Chap.  I. 

243 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

The  functions  of  school  discipline. — School  disci- 
pline has  two  chief  functions : 

1.  To  secure  and  maintain  favorable  conditions  un- 
der which  the  work  of  the  school  may  be  carried  on 
successfully.  Those  who  are  responsible  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  school  are  under  moral  obligations  to  secure 
such  conditions.  If  its  work  is  as  important  as  we 
profess  to  believe  it  to  be,  no  excuse  is  valid  for  accept- 
ing a  situation  which  makes  impossible  the  achieve- 
ment of  results  for  which  the  school  is  maintained. 
One  of  the  outstanding  purposes  of  the  Sunday  school 
is  to  inculcate  ideals  of  reverence  and  worship.  These 
ideals  not  only  have  to  be  taught  but  they  have  to  be 
put  into  practice.  They  can  neither  be  taught  nor  prac- 
ticed effectively  in  the  midst  of  confusion  and  disorder. 

2.  To  prepare  the  pupils  for  effective  participation 
in  an  organized  social  order.  Society  grants  many  lib- 
erties and  allows  much  individual  freedom,  but  re- 
quires that  desires  be  inhibited  which  are  inconsistent 
with  social  welfare.  Children  have  to  learn  this  lesson, 
and  it  is  one  of  the  important  functions  of  a  school, 
whatever  kind  it  may  be,  to  teach  them.  This  can  be 
done  in  no  other  way  so  effectively  as  by  having  them 
become  members  of  a  school  in  which  the  ideals  and 
practices  of  well-organized  society  prevail.  Here  they 
learn  not  only  what  is  required  of  them,  but  also  gain 
experience  in  meeting  the  requirements.  In  an  unruly 
and  disorderly  school  they  form  wrong  conceptions  of 
social  requirements  and  gain  bad  habits  of  social  con- 
duct. Nothing  that  the  school  can  do  by  way  of  in- 
struction— granting  that  successful  teaching  can  be 
done  under  such  conditions — can  compensate  for  the 
wrong  ideals  formed  and  bad  habits  acquired. 

One  of  the  most  important  lessons  to  be  learned  in 
244 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PUPILS 

this  connection  is  that  of  self-control.  This  lesson  can- 
not be  learned  where  impulses  are  uncontrolled  and 
momentary  desires  determine  conduct.  It  certainly 
cannot  be  learned  in  an  environment  of  social  disorder. 
In  such  environment  there  is  lacking  the  suggestion  of 
individual  responsibility  and  the  stimulus  to  respond 
to  any  such  feeling  if  it  were  present.  A  disorderly 
school  furnishes  about  the  worst  environment  imagin- 
able for  acquiring  either  ideals  or  habits  of  self-con- 
trol. 

The  nature  of  the  problem. — School  discipline  is 
clearly  an  educational  problem.  It  cannot  be  solved, 
therefore,  by  the  use  of  methods  inconsistent  with  the 
nature  of  the  problem.  Government  cannot  be  auto- 
cratically superimposed  upon  a  school.  Police  methods 
will  fail.  Neither  self-control  nor  social  control  is 
secured  by  such  methods.  Children  have  to  learn  how 
to  cooperate  with  their  fellows,  and  it  is  the  business  of 
the  Sunday  school  to  help  the  home  and  the  public 
school  to  teach  this  lesson.  The  relation  between 
teachers  and  pupils  is  no  different  here  from  what  it  is 
in  teaching  and  learning  in  general.  What  is  to  be 
learned  has  to  be  clearly  presented,  and  incentives  to 
learn  have  to  be  provided. 

The  motivation  of  right  conduct  is  certainly  one  of 
the  aims  of  religious  education.  Self-respect,  a  sense 
of  duty  and  obligation,  respect  for  the  rights  of  others, 
and  reverence  for  God  and  his  house,  are  all  involved. 
These  constitute  motives  which  must  be  acquired  by 
the  child  through  experience  in  an  environment  where 
such  motives  control  the  conduct  of  others.  The  Sun- 
day school  should  furnish  such  an  environment. 

To  secure  this  requires  insight  into  child  life  and  a 
sympathetic  understanding  of  its  needs  and  capacities. 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

It  requires  knowledge  of  how  to  organize  and  manage 
a  school.  This  kind  of  knowledge  is  not  a  part  of 
one's  native  equipment.  It  has  to  be  acquired  by  train- 
ing and  experience.  And,  finally,  a  well-disciplined 
school  is  secured  by  persistence  and  patience.  The 
problem  of  maintaining  such  a  school  is  as  constant  as 
the  necessity  for  children  to  learn  day  by  day,  week 
by  week,  the  lessons  of  self-control  and  of  cooperating 
with  their  fellows  in  a  social  enterprise. 


246 


CHAPTER  XI 

RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  IN  HIGHER  INSTI- 
TUTIONS 

The  direct  control  of  secular  education  has  largely 
passed  to  the  state  so  far  as  Protestantism  is  con- 
cerned. The  church  has  withdrawn  quite  completely 
from  the  field  of  elementary  education,  and  its  control 
of  secondary  education  has  almost  entirely  ceased. 
A  few  academies  under  denominational  control  still 
exist.  But  they  are  few  in  number,  and  these  bid  fair 
to  go  out  of  existence  in  the  near  future.  If  the 
present  policy  is  continued,  the  church  will  soon  cease 
to  maintain  either  elementary  or  secondary  secular 
schools. 

The  field  of  higher  education  presents  quite  a  differ- 
ent situation.  The  growth  of  state  schools  has  been 
rapid  and  widespread,  but  this  has  not  resulted  in  any 
considerable  reduction  in  the  number  of  denomina- 
tional higher  institutions.  They  no  longer  dominate 
the  situation  as  they  have  done  until  recently.  The 
competition  with  state  schools  is  sharp  and  for  the 
most  part  the  church  schools  are  not  meeting  the  com- 
petition altogether  successfully.  Their  enrollment 
while  on  the  increase  is  not,  on  the  whole,  keeping 
pace  with  their  competitors.  The  difficulty  in  financing 
these  institutions  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge. 
The  increased  and  constantly  increasing  cost  of  main- 
taining educational  institutions  of  all  sorts  is  putting 
a  very  heavy  strain  upon  denominational  schools.    Fac- 

247 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

ulties  are  being  kept  up  to  standard  with  increasing 
difficulty.  Deficits  are  becoming  larger  in  many  of 
these  schools  and  the  financial  outlook  is  not  encour- 
aging. The  financial  strain  is  becoming  so  heavy  in 
some  cases  that  two  or  more  schools  are  being  merged 
in  order  to  maintain  existence.  In  still  fewer  instances 
schools  are  ceasing  to  exist  without  survival  in  any 
modified  form. 

It  is  not  meant  to  imply  that  the  denominational 
college  is  doomed  to  early  extinction.  Its  roots  run  too 
deep  for  any  such  fate.  Tradition  is  powerful  in  sup- 
port of  its  continuance  as  a  factor  in  higher  education. 
The  question  now  before  us,  therefore,  is  not  whether 
these  schools  will  continue  to  exist.  It  has  to  do  with 
the  functions  which  they  should  perform.  If  their 
function  is  merely  to  compete  with  state  schools,  the 
most  of  them  are  engaged  in  an  unequal  and  unfruitful 
struggle.  A  few  of  the  larger  denominational  or 
quasi-denominational  schools  will  probably  continue 
to  compete  successfully.  But  the  present  outlook  for 
successful  competition  for  a  vast  majority  of  colleges 
is  not  promising.  On  the  other  hand,  if  these  schools 
can  be  made  to  perform  in  far  larger  measure  than 
they  are  now  doing  the  function  for  which  they  are  pri- 
marily intended,  they  have  a  field  of  usefulness  un- 
paralleled in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church. 

THE   ORIGINAL   PURPOSE   OF   THE   DENOMINATIONAL 
COLLEGE 

The  original  purpose  of  these  schools  was  to  train 
young  men  and  women  in  the  religious  life  and  fit  them 
for  Christian  service.  This  is  a  matter  of  history  and 
needs  no  discussion.  They  were  founded  by  men  and 
women  of  supreme  religious  faith  and  supported  cour- 

248 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

ageously  out  of  poverty  and  deprivation  in  the  belief 
that  they  v^ere  indispensable  instruments  in  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  kingdom  of  God.  These  founders  believed 
that  youth  needs  to  be  taught  religion  and  that  the 
world  needs  a  considerable  number  specifically  trained 
for  service  in  the  church.  How  far  the  colleges  have 
departed  from  these  ideals  and  the  extent  to  which  they 
are  not  performing  their  original  function  is  revealed 
by  a  study  of  their  curricula.  And  here  is  where  the 
evidence  of  what  a  college  is  really  doing  must  in  the 
last  analysis  be  found. 

Present  curricula. — Present  curricula  of  the  college 
reveal  clearly  the  extent  to  which  the  colleges  have  de- 
parted from  their  original  purpose.  This  is  indicated 
in  three  ways :  ( i )  From  the  standpoint  of  the  number 
of  courses  offered,  little  value  is  attached  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Scriptures,  church  history,  Christian  ethics, 
or  missionary  enterprises.  (2)  Where  such  courses 
are  offered  in  considerable  number,  their  relative  value 
frequently  ranks  very  low.  In  many  of  these  institu- 
tions, which  require  for  graduation  foreign  language, 
science,  social  studies,  mathematics,  and  what  not,  no 
requirement  is  made  in  the  field  of  religion.  In  other 
institutions,  which  such  requirements  are  made,  they 
are  so  meager  that  one  gets  the  impression  that  they  are 
quite  perfunctory  and  for  the  purpose  of  placating 
their  denominational  constituencies.  (3)  The  cur- 
ricula further  show  even  more  conclusively  that  little 
or  no  opportunity  is  offered  for  preparation  for  the 
vocations  within  the  church.  The  colleges  avowedly 
attempt  to  train  chemists,  public-school  teachers,  insur- 
ance agents,  bankers,  and  for  secretarial  positions.  But 
they  neglect  to  train  for  the  vocations  of  the  church. 
This  is  not  a  matter  about  which  we  need  to  have  any 

249 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

doubt.  All  we  need  to  do  is  to  make  a  study  of  cur- 
ricula. Our  colleges  are  not  seriously  undertaking 
to  prepare  men  and  women  for  definite  lines  of  service 
within  the  church. 

Causes  of  change  in  poKcy. — What  are  the  causes 
of  this  departure  from  the  original  purpose  of  these 
colleges  ?  Has  the  need  ceased  for  systematic  instruc- 
tion in  religion  and  for  training  for  the  vocations  of 
the  church?  Or,  if  these  needs  still  exist,  is  the  church 
failing  to  make  proper  demand  upon  the  colleges  ?  Or 
are  college  administrators  and  faculties  neglecting  to 
meet  the  demands  because  they  feel  that  other  func- 
tions are  more  important? 

Whatever  the  causes  may  be,  the  results  are  obvious. 
There  is  very  little  difference  between  the  curricula  of 
these  colleges  and  those  offered  by  the  colleges  of  lib- 
eral arts  in  State  institutions.  It  is  entirely  clear  that 
the  former  are  devoting  their  energies  chiefly  to  com- 
peting with  the  latter  on  their  own  ground,  namely, 
providing  opportunity  for  young  people  to  secure  a 
type  of  education  wholly  secular  in  character  and 
which  provides  for  a  considerable  degree  of  specializa- 
tion. Many  of  the  courses  are  either  distinctly  prevo- 
cational  or  vocational,  with  the  vocations  of  the  church 
receiving  little  or  no  attention.  These  are  the  facts  in 
the  case  regardless  of  presuppositions  to  the  contrary. 
It  is  with  the  facts  that  we  have  to  deal  in  any  fruitful 
discussion  of  the  reorganization  of  the  curricula  of 
denominational  schools. 

FUNCTIONS    OF    DENOMINATIONAL     HIGHER     INSTITU- 
TIONS 

Curricula  of  schools  of  all  sorts  must  be  determined 
by  the  functions  which  they  undertake  to  perform.    It 

250 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

is  necessary,  therefore,  to  have  these  clearly  deter- 
mined. The  Christian  college  must  perform  three 
closely  related  functions. 

Opportunity  for  a  liberal  education. — The  college 
must  provide  opportunity  for  a  liberal  education  equal 
in  value  to  that  offered  by  the  State  schools.  No  mis- 
understanding should  arise  at  this  point.  Young  peo- 
ple have  a  right  to  an  opportunity  to  receive  a  thorough 
modern  education.  Any  school  which  does  not  furnish 
such  opportunity  should  not  receive  their  patronage. 
There  are  certain  kinds  of  knowledge  and  experience 
which  are  vital  in  the  preparation  of  young  people  for 
lives  of  usefulness.  Knowledge  of  science,  mathe- 
matics, history,  economics,  sociology,  and  psychology 
is  essential  to  intelligent  participation  in  the  life  of  the 
modern  world.  It  is  necessary  to  a  mastery  of  self  and 
of  material  and  social  environments.  Nothing  can 
compensate  for  lack  of  such  knowledge.  The  Chris- 
tian college  is  under  the  most  binding  obligation  to 
provide  curricula,  equipment,  and  teaching  force  un- 
surpassed in  any  other  kind  of  school  in  America.  Let 
it  be  understood  that  other  functions,  however  impor- 
tant they  may  be,  should  not  interfere  with  this  func- 
tion. It  should  be  understood,  further,  that  other 
functions  need  not  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  per- 
formance of  this  one.  On  the  other  hand,  they  cannot 
be  performed  successfully  if  this  one  is  neglected. 

The  religious  element. — Adequate  provision  must 
be  made  for  the  teaching  of  religion.  This  function 
is  now  being  neglected  in  large  measure.  The  evidence 
of  this  has  already  been  pointed  out.  Our  colleges  so 
far  as  their  curricula  are  concerned  have  become  almost 
wholly  secularized.  A  knowledge  of  religion  in  its 
various  aspects  is  not  a  part  of  the  life  equipment  of  a 

251 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

large  number  of  those  who  go  out  from  our  college 
halls  every  year.  Nothing  is  gained  by  ignoring  the 
facts  or  trying  to  explain  them  away.  On  the  con- 
trary, we  should  face  them  and  take  them  fully  into 
account  in  determining  educational  policy  and  proce- 
dure. 

It  is  true  that  colleges  lay  claim  to  a  Christian  atmos- 
phere secured  or  maintained  through  the  personnel  of 
their  faculties  and  extra-curricula  organizations  and 
activities.  Granted  that  these  agencies  are  more  or 
less  effective,  they  cannot  take  the  place  of  wisely  se- 
lected, well-organized  and  effectively  taught  courses 
dealing  with  the  great  fundamental  principles  and  prac- 
tices of  the  Christian  religion.  The  State  does  not 
attempt  to  train  its  citizens  wholly  or  even  largely 
through  the  influence  of  a  civic  atmosphere,  nor  does 
business  rely  upon  a  similar  means  to  secure  intelli- 
gence and  skill.  We  are  persistently  and  systematically 
attempting  to  teach  young  people  to  become  good  citi- 
zens through  the  use  of  the  properly  selected  subjects 
and  subject-matter.  Similarly,  we  are  making  the 
attempt  to  fit  them  for  vocations  and  avocations.  Shall 
we  not  also  attempt  to  teach  them  in  a  much  larger 
way  than  we  are  now  doing  by  the  same  means  to 
become  citizens  of  the  Kingdom,  and  interested  and 
intelligent  workers  therein? 

Further  comment  concerning  the  atmosphere  of  a 
school  seems  pertinent.  Who  creates  it  and  how  is 
it  created?  Every  school  has  its  traditions,  and  these 
constitute  a  factor  of  more  or  less  importance  in  deter- 
mining the  atmosphere  or  spirit  of  a  school.  It  is  a 
fact  well  known  to  all  who  are  intimately  responsible 
for  creating  and  maintaining  a  proper  school  spirit  that 
the  points  of  emphasis  in  the  curriculum  are  what,  more 

252 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

than  anything  else,  give  tone,  meaning,  and  character 
to  the  Hfe  of  the  school  as  a  whole. 

No  attempt  will  be  made  to  evaluate  these  factors 
in  detail.  It  is  important,  however,  that  we  place  the 
proper  relative  value  upon  each  of  the  sources  of  school 
spirit.  Tradition  always  has  its  rise  in  actual  condi- 
tions, although  it  may  survive  after  the  causes  which 
produced  it  have  passed  away.  But  it  cannot  survive 
indefinitely  and  exerts  a  decreasing  influence  as  time 
goes  on.  Tradition  alone  probably  exerts  but  little 
influence  to-day  in  determining  the  life  and  character 
of  our  American  colleges.  It  is  not  in  very  good  repute 
anywhere  and  college  students  are  not  the  ones  who 
respect  it  most.  What  the  school  was  and  what  it 
stood  for  a  hundred  or  fifty  or  ten  years  ago  doesn't 
impress  them  much.  Religious  traditions  in  and  of 
themselves  exert  relatively  little  influence  on  the 
campus. 

The  influence  of  teachers  who  possess  a  vital  reli- 
gious life  and  character  should  not  be  underestimated. 
Without  such  teachers  no  school  can  inculcate  ideals 
and  inspire  life.  The  spirit  which  determines  all  ad- 
ministrative acts  and  which  expresses  itself  in  the  per- 
sonal contacts  between  administrative  officers  and  stu- 
dents is  extremely  significant.  Student  life,  social  and 
athletic,  constitutes  an  environment,  the  influences  of 
which  for  good  or  ill  are  incalculable.  There  is  no  dis- 
position to  underestimate  the  importance  of  any  of 
these  sources  of  school  spirit.  But  they  cannot  be  pro- 
ductive of  large  results  in  creating  and  maintaining  a 
religious  atmosphere  unless  at  the  very  heart  of  things 
the  religious  purposes  of  the  school  and  of  education 
itself  are  clearly  revealed.  What  a  school  teaches  in 
its  classrooms  is  the  first  test  of  what  is  regarded  of 

253 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

largest  value.  If  the  teaching  of  religion  is  excluded 
from  classrooms,  or  even  subordinated  to  other  things, 
it  is  obvious  that  it  is  regarded  as  having  no  educative 
value  or  little  value  in  comparison  with  other  things. 

It  is  true  that  denominational  colleges  offer  oppor- 
tunity for  the  study  of  religion.  But  it  is  usually  ex- 
tremely limited  in  two  ways: 

I.  With  a  few  exceptions,  nothing  in  the  field  of 
religion  is  required  for  graduation.  A  rather  wide 
range  of  other  subjects  is  required.  The  following 
is  a  typical  example  of  requirements  stated  in  terms 
of  semester  hours:  Foreign  language,  twenty;  English, 
six;  science,  eight;  social  studies,  eight;  philosophy, 
eight;  mathematics,  four;  physical  training,  two.  In 
every  one  of  these,  except  philosophy  and  physical 
training,  entrance  requirements  are  set  up  consisting 
of  from  one  to  three  years'  work  in  a  secondary  school. 
Requirements  differ  somewhat  in  kind  and  number  in 
the  various  colleges  both  for  entrance  and  graduation, 
but  the  principle  is  adhered  to  in  all  of  them  as  applied 
to  some  or  all  the  subjects  named  above.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  application  of  the  principle  to  religion  is  the 
exception,  and  when  required  the  number  of  hours  con- 
stitute a  very  small  part  of  the  total  requirements. 

Why  is  religion  not  one  of  the  required  fields  of 
knowledge  in  a  Christian  college?  Is  it  because  of 
imitation  of  State  schools  which  make  no  such  require- 
ment? Or  is  it  because  of  the  belief  that  it  possesses 
less  educative  value  than  English  literature  or  science 
or  foreign  language?  If  it  is  required,  why  are  not  the 
number  of  hours  equal  to  those  of  other  subjects?  Is 
it  supposed  there  is  an  insufficient  body  of  knowledge 
in  this  field?  Is  the  field  of  religion  so  limited  in  its 
educative  values  that  two  or  four  semester  hours  will 

254 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

suffice  to  master  its  great  truths?  Whatever  the  an- 
swers to  these  questions  may  be,  the  fact  remains  that 
from  the  standpoint  of  requirements,  rehgion  has  Httle 
or  no  place  in  the  category  of  highest  educative  values 
in  our  colleges. 

2.  The  teaching  of  religion  is  subordinated,  as  shown 
by  the  limited  number  of  courses.  In  many  of  the  col- 
leges not  enough  courses  are  offered  to  occupy  the 
time  of  one  teacher.  A  combination  is  made  with  phil- 
osophy, psychology,  or  courses  from  this  department 
or  that  are  tacked  on  to  fill  out  a  teacher's  schedule  of 
hours.  Or,  still  worse,  perhaps,  courses  in  religion  are 
tacked  on  to  other  departments  for  the  same  purpose. 
In  these  same  schools  we  find  that  three  or  more 
teachers  are  giving  full  time  to  teaching  in  the  other 
important  fields  of  knowledge.  In  such  cases  it  is  ap- 
parent that  teaching  force  and  students  are  not  well 
distributed.  For  example,  in  a  school  where  three 
teachers  give  full  time  to  teaching  a  single  foreign  lan- 
guage and  one  teacher  devotes  only  part  of  his  time 
to  teaching  religion,  it  indicates  that  things  are  rather 
badly  out  of  proportion. 

In  the  aggregate  a  large  number  of  college  students 
are  enrolled  in  Bible  courses.  But  we  must  not  be 
misled  by  these  figures.  Relatively  speaking,  the  num- 
ber is  not  large.  No  data  are  available  upon  which  to 
base  exact  estimates,  but  it  is  evident  that  a  very  large 
number  of  students  in  our  colleges  receive  no  classroom 
instruction  in  the  Bible.  In  the  case  of  many  who  go 
to  make  up  the  aggregate  of  those  receiving  such  in- 
struction, the  amount  of  time  devoted  to  the  work  is 
very  small.  Measured  in  terms  of  semester  hours,  the 
amount  of  time  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  Bible  is 
very  meager. 

255 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Other  courses  in  the  great  field  of  religion  are  almost 
negligible.  Christian  ethics,  problems  of  personal  life, 
missions,  and  other  great  social  enterprises  of  the 
church  have  little  or  no  place  in  college  curricula. 
Church  history,  polity,  and  doctrines  are  in  the  same 
category.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  paragraph  to 
make  an  argument,  but  to  state  the  plain  facts.  These 
are  the  facts  as  shown  by  the  courses  actually  offered 
and  by  the  number  of  teaching  hours  devoted  to  the 
courses.  The  statements  do  not  apply  to  an  excep- 
tional school  here  and  there,  but  they  do  apply  to  a 
vast  majority  of  our  denominational  colleges. 

Training  for  vocations  of  the  church. — College 
students  should  have  opportunity  to  train  for  the  voca- 
tions of  the  church.  The  absence  of  any  systematic 
and  serious  attempts  to  train  for  these  vocations  is 
made  apparent  by  a  study  of  college  curricula.  Prevo- 
cational  training  even  is  almost  entirely  lacking.  The 
objection  may  be  made  that  this  is  not  the  function  of 
the  college.  There  are  two  answers  to  this  objection. 
The  first  is  that  the  college  is  already  performing  this 
function  as  it  relates  to  a  number  of  vocations.  It 
is  training  public-school  teachers  in  large  numbers 
through  well-organized  departments  of  education,  and 
courses  in  science  are  definitely  planned  to  train  for 
various  lines  of  industrial  work.  The  same  thing  is 
true  in  the  field  of  social  studies.  Courses  in  banking, 
insurance,  and  accounting  are  now  well  established  in 
undergraduate  curricula. 

The  other  answer  is  that  the  church  must  depend 
largely  upon  the  colleges  for  its  trained  workers.  This 
is  especially  so  for  lines  of  work  outside  the  preaching 
ministry.  Some  of  these  lines  of  work  are  avocational 
in  the  sense  that  they  do  not  offer  opportunity  for 

256 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

full-time  Service,  and  young  people  cannot  be  expected 
to  attend  graduate  schools  to  prepare  for  them.  Sun- 
day-school administrators  and  teachers  are  examples 
of  such  workers.  They  need  training,  and  the  only 
possible  way  to  provide  it  is  to  do  so  in  connection 
with  the  college  courses  of  young  people  who  will  later 
assume  the  responsibility  for  the  success  of  the  Sunday 
school. 

The  rapidly  increasing  attention  now  being  given  to 
the  necessity  for  more  adequate  facilities  for  religious 
instruction  for  children  and  youth  is  resulting  in  the 
establishment  of  week-day  schools.  This  type  of  school 
has  already  been  discussed  in  Chapter  VI.  The  prep- 
aration of  administrators  and  teachers  of  these  schools 
was  referred  to  in  that  chapter  and  discussed  in  more 
detail  in  Chapter  VIII,  It  was  indicated  that  the  means 
for  training  teachers  are  not  adequate.  In  fact,  com- 
munity or  church  training  schools  cannot  be  organ- 
ized and  their  work  carried  on  successfully  without 
trained  leaders  and  workers.  The  higher  institutions 
must  furnish  these  leaders. 

Here  again,  for  the  present  at  least,  undergraduate 
courses  chiefly  must  be  relied  upon.  It  is  desirable  as 
rapidly  as  possible  to  raise  the  standard  of  qualifica- 
tions for  directors  and  teachers  of  religious  education. 
But  in  the  meantime  we  shall  have  to  depend  in  large 
measure  upon  undergraduate  training.  The  same 
thing  is  true  of  other  lines  of  work  under  the  auspices 
of  the  church. 

The  graduate  school  for  the  training  of  the  preach- 
ing ministry  is  already  established.  Fortunately, 
graduate  departments  in  a  few  of  the  universities  for 
the  training  of  workers  in  other  lines  of  service  are 
now  being  established.     Other  institutions  are  con- 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

templating  establishing  such  departments.  But  where 
are  they  to  get  their  students?  Take,  for  example,  a 
graduate  department  of  religious  education.  If  the 
department  maintains  the  same  standards  as  other 
graduate  departments,  an  undergraduate  major  in  the 
same  field  is  a  prerequisite  to  graduate  work.  Except 
for  their  own  undergraduate  courses  the  only  sources 
of  supply  are  the  colleges.  Just  as  they  are  now  pre- 
paring students  to  pursue  graduate  work  in  science,  the 
social  studies,  and  in  other  fields,  so  must  they  prepare 
ior  such  courses  in  the  vocations  of  the  church. 

The  functions  of  the  college  must  be  determined  in 
the  light  of  the  greatest  service  it  can  render  to  in- 
dividuals and  society.  This  cannot  be  determined  by 
the  demands  of  a  generation  ago.  The  demands  of  the 
present  must  have  right  of  way.  These  demands  are 
becoming  clearly  defined  and  more  and  more  insistent. 
The  church  is  calling  for  trained  workers,  and  the  call 
must  be  answered  by  the  Christian  colleges.  If  these 
colleges  are  declining  in  importance,  it  is  not  because 
their  contribution  is  less  needed  than  it  has  ever  been. 
It  is,  rather,  because  they  are  not  making  the  contribu- 
tion which  both  the  church  and  society  have  a  right  to 
expect  them  to  make.  Training  for  the  vocations  of 
the  church  is  a  social  obligation  which  cannot  be  denied 
except  at  tremendous  loss  to  the  church  and  to  the  cause 
to  which  it  has  committed  itself. 

Training  for  avocations  of  the  church. — Students 
should  have  opportunity  to  train  for  the  avocations 
of  the  church.  The  work  of  the  church  outside  its 
preaching  ministry  must  continue  to  be  carried  on 
largely  by  volunteer  workers.  The  Sunday  schools, 
young  people's  societies,  and  the  whole  recreational  and 
social  program  of  the  church  need  trained  workers  of 

258 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

this  sort.  This  does  not  obviate  the  necessity  of  em- 
ploying full-time  workers  with  special  training.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  the  only  way  in  which  their  work  can 
be  made  fruitful.  One  person  devoting  full  time  to 
the  educational  program  of  the  church  must  have  the 
assistance  of  several  who  devote  only  a  few  hours 
each  week  to  the  task.  The  latter  must  be  trained  for 
their  work,  otherwise  they  will  not  be  able  to  utilize 
intelligent  leadership. 

While  the  college  is  training  for  public-school  teach- 
ing as  a  vocation  it  should  also  train  for  Sunday- 
school  teaching  as  an  avocation.  The  same  should  be 
said  of  those  who  are  preparing  for  other  vocations. 
The  great  body  of  young  men  and  women  who  go  out 
from  our  colleges  every  year  should  go  out  with  the 
disposition  and  ability  to  serve  the  church  regardless 
of  what  their  vocations  are  to  be.  One  of  the  great 
responsibilities  now  resting  upon  the  Christian  college 
is  to  provide  opportunity  for  these  young  people  to  pre- 
pare for  this  much  needed  kind  of  service. 

RECONSTRUCTION  OF  CURRICULA 

Examination  of  college  catalogues  shows  very  con- 
clusively that  fundamental  reconstruction  of  curricula 
is  imperative.  Extra-curricula  instruction  and  activi- 
ties have  their  value.  Voluntary  noncredit  courses 
carried  on  through  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Y.  W,  C.  A.,  and  other 
similar  organizations  are  useful.  But  none  of  these 
can  take  the  place  of  regular  classroom  instruction 
where  standards  of  scholarship  are  maintained  and  a 
sense  of  responsibility  on  the  part  of  both  teachers  and 
students  obtains. 

Need  of  fundamental  change. — Fundamental  re- 
construction of  curricula  is  demanded  in  those  subjects 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

and  fields  which  are  designed  to  provide  for  secular 
instruction.  As  pointed  out  in  a  previous  section,  the 
college  should  provide  for  a  thoroughly  modern  edu- 
cation. Reconstructions  are  necessary  to  bring  the  type 
of  school  up  to  a  point  of  highest  efficiency.  This  is 
due  the  church  in  whose  name  it  carries  on  its  work, 
to  the  young  people  who  commit  themselves  to  its 
care  and  to  society  in  which  they  will  function  and 
make  their  contribution  in  later  years.  Both  the  na- 
ture of  the  present  treatment  and  lack  of  space  forbid 
any  detailed  discussion  at  this  point. 

Instruction  in  religion. — Curricula  must  provide 
for  adequate  instruction  in  the  principles  and  practices 
of  Christianity.  Our  young  people  need  to  be  educated 
in  religion.  Many  of  them  come  out  of  the  college 
ignorant  of  the  Bible  and  of  the  history,  function,  and 
enterprises  of  the  church.  Not  only  this,  but  they  lack 
religious  conviction  and  outlook,  are  antagonistic  or 
indifferent  to  the  church,  and  lack  in  large  measure 
both  the  disposition  and  ability  to  connect  religion  with 
life.  Not  many  of  them  perhaps  are  irreligious,  but  far 
too  many  of  them  are  nonreligious.  Their  education 
has  not  made  religion  an  integral  part  of  life. 

One  of  the  principles  of  making  a  program  of  edu- 
cation is  that  religious  instruction  should  constitute 
an  integral  part  of  all  education.  Only  thus  can  reli- 
gion become  an  integral  part  of  life  in  so  far  as  educa- 
tion affects  life.  College  curricula  must  provide  for 
such  instruction.  The  details  of  courses  cannot  be 
entered  into  here.  Two  functions  should  be  performed 
by  these  courses. 

I.  They  should  provide  for  adequate  systematic 
instruction  in  the  great  fundamentals  of  religion.  One 
result  sought  is  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Bible.  Old 

260 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

Testament  literature  and  history,  and  the  life  and 
teachings  of  Jesus,  should  be  the  outstanding  points 
of  emphasis  from  the  knowledge  side.  The  inclusive 
aim  is  to  secure  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the 
great  spiritual  message  which  the  Bible  has  for  the 
modern  world.  It  was  stated  in  an  earlier  chapter 
that  the  Christian  religion  is  more  than  a  religion  of 
a  Book.  It  is  a  rehgion  of  life.  Hence  instruction 
should  go  beyond  the  Book  and  include  Christian 
ethics,  psychology  of  religion,  church  history,  doctrine, 
and  polity.  Considerable  emphasis  should  be  placed 
upon  the  extent  and  significance  of  the  great  enter- 
prises of  the  church.  A  department  of  religion  equal 
in  every  respect  to  other  important  departments  should 
be  maintained  by  every  college. 

2.  The  second  function  of  this  department  is  to  pro- 
vide opportunity  for  a  Christian  interpretation  of  all 
truth.  In  Chapter  I  attention  was  called  to  the  impor- 
tance of  this.  The  knowledge  gained  through  instruc- 
tion should  be  made  to  function  so  that  the  world  of 
thought  and  of  things,  of  people  and  their  relation- 
ships, may  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  God  and 
his  purposes.  Certainly,  this  is  the  great  inclusive  func- 
tion of  Christian  education.  But 'it  cannot  be  accom- 
plished alone  by  atmosphere,  or  organization,  or  non- 
credit  courses,  or  all  of  these  combined.  It  cannot  be 
accomplished  even  by  two  or  four  semester  hours  of 
a  superficial  study  of  the  Bible.  The  relating  of  reli- 
gion to  life  in  so  far  as  education  can  accomplish  it  is 
too  big  a  task  to  be  undertaken  in  any  such  super- 
ficial ways.  It  is  quite  as  important  that  a  knowledge 
of  biology  and  psychology  and  all  .the  rest  be  properly 
interpreted  as  it  is  that  a  knowledge  of  these  subjects 
be  acquired. 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

Courses  preparing  for  service. —  Curricula  must 
provide  for  adequate  preparation  for  the  vocations  of 
the  church.  Only  two  of  these  will  be  considered  here. 
The  training  of  administrators  and  teachers  of  Sun- 
day and  week-day  schools  and  of  teachers  of  religious 
education  in  higher  institutions  are  the  ones  selected. 

Provision  must  be  made  for  courses  which  will  pre- 
pare for  the  avocations  of  the  church.  These  are 
numerous,  but  only  those  relating  to  the  educational 
program  of  the  church,  and  more  particularly  that  part 
of  the  program  carried  out  by  the  church  school,  will 
receive  consideration.  In  fact  preparation  for  voca- 
tional and  avocational  service  is  very  similar  in  char- 
acter. The  difference  is  chiefly  in  the  amount  of  work 
required.  Vocational  preparation  requires  a  greater 
extension  of  courses  and  a  more  specialized  type  of 
work  in  some  of  these  courses. 

Needs  of  two  classes  of  workers. — Two  general 
assumptions  will  be  made  at  this  point: 

1.  It  will  be  assumed  that  those  who  seek  teacher 
training  in  religious  education  will  fall  into  two  gen- 
eral classes.  The  first  will  include  those  who  will  serve 
as  administrators  and  teachers  in  church  and  com- 
munity schools  of  elementary  and  secondary  grades. 
More  specifically  some  of  these  will  take  up  the  work 
as  a  vocation  in  connection  with  Sunday  or  week- 
day schools.  Others  will  look  forward  to  the  work  as 
an  avocation,  expecting  to  devote  part  of  their  time  to 
some  form  of  religious  educational  work.  The  second 
class  will  consist  of  those  who  are  preparing  specifically 
to  offer  courses  in  higher  institutions  for  the  training 
of  those  constituting  the  first  class  indicated  above. 

2.  The  second  assumption  is  that  two  types  of  insti- 
tutions,  broadly  speaking,  should  be  taken  into  ac- 

262 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

count.  First,  the  schools  which  will  from  necessity  or 
choice  provide  only  undergraduate  work;  and  second, 
those  which  offer  considerable  graduate  work.  In  the 
first  class  are  included  institutions  at  the  one  ex- 
treme which  will  offer  but  few  courses  (some^now 
offer  but  one  or  two),  and  at  the  other  extreme  those 
which  will  provide  under  graduate  majors  and  minors 
in  religious  education.  Between  these  two  extremes 
various  numbers  of  courses  will  be  provided  and  ad- 
ministered under  various  plans. 

PREREQUISITES  TO   COURSES   IN   RELIGIOUS   EDUCATION 

Certain  prerequisites  to  professional  courses  should 
be  required.  Such  requirements  should  consist  at  least 
of  courses  in  Bible  and  general  psychology.  Other  pre- 
requisites will  depend  upon  the  number  and  character 
of  the  courses  classified  as  courses  in  religious  educa- 
tion. It  is  obvious,  for  example,  that  some  knowledge 
of  genetic  psychology  and  also  some  background  in 
the  principles,  curriculum,  and  method  of  public  edu- 
cation are  essential.  How  much  of  this  should  be  made 
prerequisite  and  how  much  included  in  the  courses 
themselves  is  a  matter  that  must  be  determined  in  part 
at  least  by  administrative  convenience.  In  any  event 
the  person  who  would  teach  religion  effectively  must 
have  some  scientific  knowledge  concerning  the  nature 
of  the  child  and  some  information  relating  to  the  aims, 
materials,  and  methods  of  religious  education. 

Minimum  hours  constituting  a  unit. — In  the  judg- 
ment of  the  writer  one-  and  two-hour  undergraduate 
courses  are  not  desirable.  Three  hours  should  consti- 
tute the  minimum  for  any  course,  and  this  will  be 
assumed  in  the  present  discussion.  Since  the  organiza- 
tion and  administration  of  unit  courses  and  not  the 

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ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

number  of  units  is  the  immediate  problem,  the  posi- 
tion taken  here  will  in  no  way  affect  the  main  question. 

CONSPECTUS  OF  UNDERGRADUATE  COURSES 

In  listing  courses  in  religious  education  it  is  recog- 
nized that  many  institutions  will  not  be  able  to  attempt 
very  much  at  present  in  this  field.  The  supply  of  quali- 
fied teachers  is  wholly  inadequate  to  meet  present  lim- 
ited demands  and  expansion  into  a  new  field  will  be 
further  restricted  by  lack  of  funds.  It  seems  wise, 
however,  to  consider  what  seems  desirable  to  offer  if  a 
school  attempts  to  prepare  teachers,  and  then  give 
special  consideration  to  the  limitations  under  which 
many  schools  will  of  necessity  carry  on  their  work. 

Proposed  list  of  courses. — A  conspectus  of  courses 
in  religious  education  has  been  prepared  recently  by 
two  committees,  one  representing  the  Religious  Edu- 
cation Association  and  the  other  the  Sunday  School 
Council  of  Evangelical  Denominations.  These  com- 
mittees are  in  entire  accord  concerning  the  number 
and  character  of  courses  to  be  offered  in  undergradu- 
ate work.  The  list  and  the  number  of  hours  devoted  to 
each  is  as  follows : 

Bible  (content  values),  6  hours. 

Bible  (curriculum  values),  3  hours. 

The  Christian  Religion,  3  hours. 

Genetic  Psychology,  3  hours. 

Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Religious  Education, 
3  hours. 

Curriculum,  2  hours. 

Method,  including  observation  and  practice  teach- 
ing, 4  hours. 

History  of  Religious  Education  in  America,  3  hours. 

Organization  and  Administration,  3  hours. 
264 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  totals  thirty  hours,  or  about 
one  fourth  the  number  of  hours  required  for  a  bache- 
lor's degree.  The  courses  in  Bible  and  the  Christian 
religion  are  not  regarded  as  prerequisites  but  as  consti- 
tuting an  integral  part  of  religious  education.  The 
number  of  hours  is  considerably  larger  than  the  re- 
quirement for  a  major  in  most  institutions.  It,  there- 
fore, seems  desirable  to  suggest  a  plan  of  organiza- 
tion which  will  permit  institutions  to  offer  majors  and 
minors  in  this  field. 

Providing  majors  and  minors. — If  a  school  desires 
to  provide  a  major  and  minor,  it  is  assumed  that  the 
former  will  consist  of  from  eighteen  to  twenty-one 
hours  and  the  latter  from  nine  to  twelve  hours.  The 
minimum  prerequisites  in  all  cases  are  understood 
to  consist  of  courses  in  Bible  and  in  general  psy- 
chology. Certain  fundamental  courses  in  Education 
are  also  highly  desirable,  administered  either  as  prere- 
quisites or  as  constituting  an  integral  part  of  the  list 
provided. 

The  following  is  the  list  suggested  from  which  se- 
lection might  well  be  made:  i.  Introduction  to  the 
Study  of  Religious  Education.  2.  History.  3.  Genetic 
Psychology  or  Psychology  of  Conduct.  4.  Curriculum. 
5.  Method.  6.  Practice  Teaching.  7.  Organisation 
and  Administration.  Some  differentiation  is  desirable, 
particularly  in  curriculum  and  method.  Two  courses 
might  well  be  offered  in  each  of  these— one  elementary 
and  one  secondary — to  meet  the  special  needs  of  teach- 
ers in  these  two  closely  related  but  somewhat  distinct 
fields  of  work.  Other  courses  including  the  following 
might  be  offered :  8.  The  Religious  Education  of  Chil- 
dren and  Adolescents.  9.  Social  and  Recreational 
Leadership.    10.  Psychology  of  Religion. 

265 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


NUMBER  AND  SEQUENCE  OF  COURSES 

The  sequence  of  courses  will  in  part  depend  upon 
the  number  offered  and  upon  the  possibilities  of  elec- 
tion provided.  This  brings  us  to  a  consideration  of  the 
minimum  number  of  courses  regarded  as  essential  in 
the  training  of  teachers  in  religious  education.  No 
generally  accepted  standards  have  as  yet  been  set  up, 
and  we  have  just  begun  to  establish  standardizing 
agencies.  In  consequence  there  is  little  background  in 
theory  or  in  practice  for  a  determination  of  this  ques- 
tion. The  requirements  of  public-school  officials  and 
other  standardizing  agencies  should  furnish  a  point  of 
departure,  at  least,  for  the  present  discussion.  There 
is  lack  of  uniformity  in  these  standards  but  some  gen- 
eral principles  are  available. 

Requirements  of  standardizing  agencies. — The 
North  Central  Association  of  Colleges  and  Secondary 
Schools  requires  that  teachers  in  schools  accredited  by 
it,  shall  have  completed  courses  in  education  aggregat- 
ing not  less  than  eleven  semester  hours.  Similar  asso- 
ciations in  other  sections  of  the  country  maintain  simi- 
lar requirements  in  this  respect.  The  minimum 
requirements,  however,  in  most  of  them  range  from 
twelve  to  thirty  hours.  About  fifteen  hours,  exclu- 
sive of  general  psychology,  seems  to  be  a  fair  statement 
of  requirements.  This  is  no  doubt  a  higher  standard 
than  we  can  hope  to  maintain  immediately,  but  it  does 
not  seem  unreasonable  to  propose  this  as  the  stand- 
ard toward  which  to  direct  our  efforts  in  the  training 
of  teachers  in  religious  education. 

Assuming  that  fifteen  hours  of  work  will  consist  of 
five  courses  of  three  hours  each,  what  should  these  be 
and  in  what  sequence  should  they  be  offered?    Five 

266 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

of  the  courses  listed  in  the  major,  namely,  Introductory 
Course,  Genetic  Psychology,  Curriculum,  Method,  and 
Organisation  and  Administration  are  suggested  to  meet 
the  requirement  of  fifteen  hours.  If  practice  teaching 
is  included,  it  should  be  correlated  with  the  course  in 
method. 

It  is  extremely  important  that  laboratory  facilities 
be  provided,  and  this  work  should  be  required  when- 
ever it  is  possible  to  provide  such  facilities.  Many 
institutions  will  not  at  present  be  able  to  maintain  lab- 
oratory schools,  but  they  should  look  forward  to  and 
definitely  plan  for  them.  In  the  meantime  Sunday 
schools  and  such  other  facilities  as  the  community  may 
afford  should  be  utilized.  In  case  a  school  is  not  able  to 
provide  a  separate  laboratory  course  a  definite  amount 
of  such  work  should  be  included  wherever  possible  in 
the  courses  in  curriculum  and  method. 

The  minor,  consisting  of  nine  hours  already  indicated, 
should  constitute  the  minimum  amount  of  work  offered 
by  any  school  attempting  to  train  teachers.  If  this 
cannot  be  done,  then  nothing  should  be  attempted  ex- 
cept as  a  beginning  which  will  at  the  earliest  practicable 
time  reach  the  minimum  stated.  The  following  are  the 
suggested  courses  and  sequence:  i.  Introductory 
Course.  2.  Curriculum.  3.  Method.  If  four  courses 
are  provided,  genetic  psychology,  or  the  psychology  of 
conduct,  should  follow  the  introductory  course  and  in 
turn  be  followed  by  curriculum  and  method. 

It  will  be  seen  in  all  cases  that  the  Introductory 
Course  is  regarded  as  fundamental,  and  that  the 
course  in  method  is  placed  last.  This  order  is  indicated 
because  it  seems  obvious  that  a  student  should  be  intro- 
duced to  the  field  of  religious  education  through  a 
study  of  the  aims  and  purposes  of  instruction.    One  of 

267 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

the  purposes  of  the  introductory  course  is  to  do  this. 
Intelligent  selection  and  use  of  material  is  not  possible 
in  the  absence  of  a  clear  comprehension  of  the  imme- 
diate and  ultimate  ends  sought.  And  it  is  equally  im- 
possible to  choose  methods  and  devices  without  such 
knowledge.  The  course  in  method  should  follow  cur- 
riculum because  the  subject-matter  used  is  one  of  the 
sources  of  methods  and  devices.  Any  attempt  to  teach 
method  in  education,  in  the  absence  of  a  clear  under- 
standing of  aims  and  a  knowledge,  both  academic  and 
pedagogical,  of  subject-matter,  will  be  disappointing 
in  results. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  to  discuss  in  any  detail  the  con- 
tent of  courses,  but  the  reason  for  their  indicated  se- 
quence should  be  made  clear.  In  this  connection  it 
needs  to  be  said  if  an  institution  is  limited  to  the  three 
courses  named  above,  considerable  material  in  child 
and  adolescent  psychology  will  have  to  be  included. 
It  is  believed  that  such  an  arrangement  constitutes  a 
better  organization  than  a  separate  course  would  se- 
cure in  view  of  the  limited  time  available.  If  only  nine 
hours  are  available,  three  units  are  preferred  to  four. 
In  any  event  this  plan  is  not  impracticable  since  the 
teaching  of  applied  psychology  in  direct  connection 
with  its  application  is  a  fruitful  method  of  procedure. 

Distinction  between  elementary  and  advanced 
courses. — The  selection  and  organization  of  courses  in 
the  graduate  field  present  quite  a  different  problem. 
On  the  one  hand,  at  certain  points  no  clear  distinction 
can  be  made  between  graduate  and  undergraduate 
work.  If,  for  example,  an  undergraduate  major  is 
provided,  some  of  the  more  advanced  courses  might 
well  be  open  to  both  graduate  and  undergraduate  stu- 
dents.   On  the  other  hand,  a  clear  distinction  must  be 

268 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

maintained  between  elementary  and  advanced  work. 
This  is  true,  of  course,  in  the  undergraduate  work  as 
well.  Having  students  in  a  course  ranging  in  classi- 
fication from  freshmen  to  senior  is  wholly  unsatisfac- 
tory. When  this  practice  is  carried  so  far  as  to  include 
graduate  students  the  condition  becomes  intolerable. 

This  lack  of  proper  distinction  between  elementary 
and  advanced  work  is  undesirable  from  the  standpoint 
of  fruitful  teaching  and  learning.  It  violates  a  prin- 
ciple which  should  control  in  all  graduate  work, 
namely,  that  its  purpose  is  to  provide  opportunity  for 
specialization.  With  this  consideration  in  mind  the 
general  character  of  graduate  courses  is  clearly  indi- 
cated. The  following  suggest  some  of  the  types  of 
graduate  work :  ( i )  More  advanced  courses  which  will 
secure  specialization  in  the  lines  already  indicated, 
particularly  in  (a)  principles,  (b)  curriculum,  (c) 
method;  (2)  general  and  special  administrative  prob- 
lems; (3)  problems  in  childhood  and  adolescent  reli- 
gion; (4)  courses  involving  the  use  of  laboratory 
schools  and  opportunity  for  field  experience;  (5)  his- 
torical research. 

It  is  obvious  in  any  brief  theoretical  treatment  such 
as  this  is  that  definite  determination  of  the  character 
and  sequence  of  courses  in  the  graduate  field  is  quite 
impossible.  The  following  are  some  of  the  conditions 
which  will  be  determining  factors:  (i)  The  facilities 
for  offering  graduate  work.  It  is  probable  that  com- 
paratively few  institutions  should  attempt  it  at  present 
in  this  new  field.  (2)  The  amount  and  character  of 
undergraduate  work  completed  by  the  students  who 
seek  to  do  graduate  work.  (3)  The  particular  lines 
of  specialization  which  the  institution,  either  from 
choice  or  necessity,  undertakes. 

269 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


ADMINISTRATION    OF    COURSES 

No  uniformity  exists  in  plan  of  administration.  In 
some  cases  a  school  maintains  a  separate  department  of 
religious  education.  The  prevailing  practice,  however, 
is  to  have  the  courses  administered  by  some  other  de- 
partment. The  departments  which  usually  perform 
this  function  are  Bible,  Education,  Psychology  or  Phil- 
osophy, and  members  of  these  departments  offer  the 
various  courses.  This  practice  is  no  doubt  dictated 
largely  by  administrative  convenience,  but  this  con- 
sideration must  not  continue  to  control  if  religious  edu- 
cation is  to  be  given  its  rightful  place  in  college  and 
university  curricula. 

It  is  obvious,  of  course,  that  the  work  in  religious 
education  should  not  be  administered  primarily  to 
strengthen  some  other  department  or  to  fill  out  the 
time  of  a  teacher  whose  preparation  and  interest  lie 
elsewhere.  Least  of  all  is  any  institution  justified  in 
tacking  a  hodgepodge  of  courses  onto  some  department 
chiefly  to  placate  its  denominational  constituency. 

Separate  department. — -When  a  school  main- 
tains a  department  of  religious  education,  the  term 
is  used  in  a  broad  sense  to  include  two  closely  re- 
lated but  somewhat  different  types  of  work:  (i) 
courses  whose  purpose  is  informational  and  cultural, 
and  (2)  professional  courses  the  purpose  of  which  is 
to  prepare  for  the  educational  vocations  and  avoca- 
tions of  the  church.  It  is  probable  that  many  colleges 
will  adopt  this  plan  of  administration. 

Courses  administered  by  other  departments. — 
In  those  colleges  and  universities  where  the  courses  are 
administered  by  another  department,  many  schools 
will  no  doubt  have  the  Department  of  Education  per- 

270 


HIGHER  INSTITUTIONS 

form  this  function.  Because  of  the  necessity  for 
closely  correlating  the  work  of  religious  education  with 
that  of  public  education  this  department  seems  to  be 
the  logical  one  to  do  this.  It  is  true  that  there  must 
also  be  proper  correlation  with  the  work  in  other 
closely  related  fields.  But  in  the  view  of  the  writer, 
this  can  be  secured  effectively  by  such  an  administra- 
tive arrangement.  It  need  not  be  said,  of  course,  that 
such  an  arrangement  presupposes  that  the  religious 
education  courses  shall  be  administered  with  the  same 
degree  of  intelligence  and  interest  as  other  courses  in 
the  department.  This  implies  competent  teachers  who 
are  selected  specifically  because  of  their  interest  in  reli- 
gious education  and  their  preparation  in  this  field. 

The  whole  matter  of  organizing  and  administering 
courses  in  religious  education  is  in  the  formative  stage. 
One  cannot  therefore  be  dogmatic  in  statement  con- 
cerning plans  for  administering  the  work.  Three 
things,  however,  are  clear :  ( i )  The  courses  in  religious 
education  must  be  formulated  and  administered  by 
persons  whose  interests  and  training  qualify  them  for 
the  task.  (2)  Proper  correlations  with  other  closely 
related  fields  of  work  are  absolutely  essential.  (3) 
Local  conditions  will  necessarily  constitute  an  impor- 
tant factor  in  determining  administrative  plans  and 
policies.  In  no  case,  however,  should  expediency  be 
the  determining  factor.  Any  successful  plan  must  be 
determined  on  the  basis  of  securing  the  most  effective 
administration  of  the  work. 


271 


CHAPTER  XII 
CONCLUSION 

The  problems  involved  in  organization  and  admin- 
istration in  the  field  of  religious  education  have  been 
presented  briefly  in  the  foregoing  chapters.  No  at- 
tempt has  been  made  to  treat  these  exhaustively.  The 
most  that  was  contemplated  was  to  state  them  in  suffi- 
cient detail  to  indicate  their  character  and  to  suggest 
methods  of  procedure  in  their  solution.  In  fact,  only 
general  problems  can  be  indicated,  since  specific  prob- 
lems have  to  be  discovered  in  actual  church  and  com- 
munity situations.  The  detailed  methods  to  be  used 
in  initiating  and  carrying  forward  programs  depend 
to  such  a  large  extent  upon  local  conditions  that  about 
all  that  could  well  be  done  in  a  volume  of  this  kind  is 
to  point  out  guiding  principles. 

Experience  has  clearly  demonstrated  that  a  program 
cannot  be  successfully  superimposed  upon  a  church  or 
a  community.  The  extent  of  the  program,  method  of 
financing,  the  matters  pertaining  to  building  and  equip- 
ment, and  the  whole  question  of  organization  and  ad- 
ministration are  all  determined  largely  by  local  con- 
ditions. There  are,  however,  certain  fundamental  con- 
siderations which  must  always  be  taken  into  account. 
Two  of  these  will  receive  special  attention  by  way  of 
emphasis  and  review  at  this  time. 

THE   RELIGIOUS    MOTIVE   IN    EDUCATION 

The  religious  element  has  been  left  out  of  public 
education.    In  fact,  in  so  far  as  the  religious  motive 

272 


CONCLUSION 

itself  functions  in  American  education  it  does  so  quite 
apart  from  the  public-school  system.  Not  only  this, 
but  even  in  higher  institutions  controlled  by  the  church 
it  has  very  little  direct  influence  upon  the  type  of  edu- 
cation which  they  furnish.  This  is  not  said  in  a  spirit 
of  criticism  so  far  as  the  public  schools  are  con- 
cerned. They  are  not  teaching  religion  and  should  not 
be  expected  to  do  so.  The  functions  which  the  higher 
institutions  should  perform  in  this  relation  have  al- 
ready been  discussed  in  the  previous  chapter. 

Two  things  relating  to  the  outlook  for  religious  edu- 
cation seem  to  be  entirely  clear :  ( i )  The  religious  mo- 
tive must  function  more  powerfully  than  it  is  doing 
now  in  the  education  of  American  children  and  youth. 
(2)  This  will  have  to  be  accomplished  through  some 
agency  other  than  the  public  school,  and  the  church  is 
the  only  logical  agency  upon  which  we  can  rely.  The 
opportunity  and  responsibility  of  the  church  for  reli- 
gious education  are  not  as  fully  recognized  as  they 
should  be,  and  until  they  are  recognized  and  the  re- 
sponsibility assumed  not  much  progress  will  be  made. 

Before  the  religious  motive  will  express  itself  ade- 
quately in  American  education  certain  changes  must 
take  place. 

The  realization  of  the  need. — Until  the  American 
people  become  aroused  to  the  need  of  religious  instruc- 
tion for  their  children  we  shall  not  get  very  far.  If 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  our  children  and  youth  of 
school  age  were  receiving  less  than  thirty  hours  of  in- 
struction per  week  in  public  school  subjects,  deep  con- 
cern would  be  manifested.  The  American  people  have 
set  out  to  provide  education  for  their  children  in  almost 
everything  else  except  religion.  They  seem  to  have 
little  concern  in  the  matter  of  adequate  religious  in- 

273 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

struction  for  the  great  mass  of  American  children  and 
youth. 

Demand  for  extension  of  program. — An  educa- 
tional motive,  whether  it  be  civic,  vocational,  moral, 
or  religious,  cannot  function  properly  in  the  absence 
of  an  adequate  program.  Aims  must  be  clearly  de- 
fined and  conceived  in  terms  sufficiently  definite  to 
serve  as  guides  in  the  selection  and  organization  of 
subject-matter  and  activities.  The  time  schedule  must 
be  in  harmony  with  the  task  in  hand.  One  hour  per 
week  is  certainly  inadequate.  More  time  is  needed  and 
such  distribution  required  as  will  secure  the  realization 
of  the  aims  of  instruction.  The  program  must  be  or- 
ganized and  administered  in  such  way  as  to  secure 
proper  emphasis  upon  instruction,  worship,  recitation, 
and  other  forms  of  educational  procedure.  In  short, 
a  program  of  religious  education  is  measured  by  the 
same  standards  as  is  any  other  kind  of  educational 
program. 

Religious  education  a  public  enterprise. — In  a 
previous  chapter  it  was  held  that  religious  education  is 
a  matter  of  public  concern.  Until  this  fact  is  recog- 
nized it  will  not  receive  the  attention  essential  to  the 
formulation  and  carrying  out  of  the  kind  of  program 
referred  to  above.  The  social  nature  of  this  educa- 
tional enterprise  should  not  be  confused  with  the  type 
of  organization  used  in  carrying  out  the  program. 
Here  we  are  discussing  the  nature  of  the  problem  in- 
volved in  religious  education  without  reference  to  the 
means  used  in  dealing  with  the  problem.  Let  it  be 
repeated  that  everybody  in  a  community  interested  in 
the  upbringing  of  its  children  and  youth  ought  to  be 
interested  in  their  religious  nurture  and  training.  If 
this  principle  is  accepted,  the  particular  kind  of  organ- 

274 


CONCLUSION 

ization  can  be  determined  on  a  basis  of  local  needs  and 
conditions. 

THE   EDUCATIONAL    METHOD   IN    RELIGION 

The  religious  motive  in  education  cannot  be  realized 
in  the  absence  of  an  effective  use  of  the  educational 
method  in  religion.  The  value  of  this  method  in  deal- 
ing with  childhood  and  youth  is  fully  recognized  in 
other  lines.  We  know  it  is  essential  to  good  citizen- 
ship, to  preparation  for  vocations  and  avocations,  and 
for  the  development  of  moral  and  ethical  life.  We  do 
not  recognize  its  value  in  religion  except  in  a  very  lim- 
ited way.  This  statement  might  not  be  accepted  by 
many  people  as  valid.  They  will  say  that  the  church 
has  always  recognized  the  importance  of  this  method 
and  that  it  is  now  using  it  effectively.  The  controversy 
at  this  point  can  best  be  settled  by  going  to  the  sources 
of  information.  There  are  certain  objective  evidences 
of  the  use  of  the  educational  method  and  we  shall 
now  turn  our  attention  to  these  sources. 

Present  enrollment  in  church  schools. — An  out- 
standing evidence  that  the  educational  method  is  not 
being  used  successfully  is  a  fact  which  has  already 
been  cited,  namely,  that  three  fourths  of  the  children 
of  America  are  not  now  receiving  formal  religious  in- 
struction. It  is  obvious  that  the  method  is  failing  in 
so  far  as  these  millions  are  concerned.  A  further  fact, 
namely,  that  the  attendance  upon  the  schools  is  irregu- 
lar, that  lessons  are  poorly  prepared  or  not  prepared 
at  all,  and  that  no  adequate  means  of  checking  up  re- 
sults are  employed,  demonstrates  the  ineffectiveness  of 
the  method  as  now  employed. 

Buildings  and  equipment. — A  fruitful  use  of  the 
educational  method  is  impossible  in  most  churches  be- 

275 


ORGANIZATION  OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

cause  of  their  architecture.  They  were  not  built  for 
educational  purposes.  They  meet  none  of  the  require- 
ments of  a  school.  In  many  cases  they  have  no  class- 
rooms and  no  educational  equipment.  A  school  of  any 
kind  cannot  be  carried  on  successfully  except  under 
certain  favorable  conditions.  In  the  average  church 
building,  reading  and  writing  and  arithmetic  could  not 
be  taught  successfully,  and  neither  can  religion.  The 
conditions  are  such  that  successful  teaching  and  learn- 
ing of  any  kind  are  impossible. 

More  than  this,  many  of  the  churches  that  are  now 
being  built  do  not  contemplate  the  use  of  the  educa- 
tional method  in  religion.  The  writer  has  recently 
seen  the  plans  for  a  new  church  in  which  provision  is 
made  for  the  preaching  service  and  for  social  gather- 
ings. Even  kitchen  service  is  well  provided  for,  but 
the  plans  leave  out  of  account  entirely  the  educational 
needs  of  children.  No  doubt  the  builders  of  this  church 
expect  to  have  a  Sunday  school,  but,  strangely  enough, 
they  have  made  no  provision  for  it. 

We  might  just  as  well  face  the  facts  when  we  are 
discussing  the  use  of  the  educational  method.  Schools 
cannot  be  successfully  conducted  .unless  buildings  and 
equipment  are  provided.  To  have  anywhere  from  five 
or  six  to  ten  or  twelve  classes  occupy  a  single  room, 
however  large  it  may  be,  makes  impossible  successful 
instruction  of  any  kind.  If  the  church  cannot  provide 
for  the  education  of  its  children  and  youth,  then  let 
us  have  done  with  it  and  say  so.  But  it  accomplishes 
no  purpose  to  blind  ourselves  to  actual  needs  and 
refuse  to  recognize  their  existence.  Church  architec- 
ture will  have  to  be  materially  changed  if  the  educa- 
tional method  in  religion  is  to  be  made  effective. 

Financial  support. —  Another  evidence  of  the  lack 
276 


CONCLUSION 

of  the  use  of  the  educational  method  or  of  its  ineffec- 
tive use  is  the  absence  of  financial  support  given  by 
the  church  to  religious  education.  The  writer  has 
recently  inspected  a  church  budget  calling  for  the  ex- 
penditure of  nearly  $40,000,  and  approximately  one 
fortieth  of  this  amount  was  to  be  devoted  to  religious 
education.  That  is  to  say,  the  educational  method  was 
to  be  supported  to  the  extent  of  one  dollar  to  every 
thirty-nine  dollars  devoted  to  other  methods. 

It  should  be  said,  however,  that  this  church  should 
be  commended  in  one  particular,  namely,  that  it  re- 
gards the  support  of  its  school  as  one  of  its  financial 
obligations.  Most  churches  do  not  include  the  support 
of  the  Sunday  school  in  their  budgets  at  all.  Some 
churches  boast  that  their  Sunday  schools  are  self- 
supporting.  Two  objections  are  registered  against 
the  self-supporting  Sunday  school.  The  first  is  that 
support  of  this  kind  is  both  precarious  and  inadequate. 
The  second  objection  is  even  more  important,  namely, 
that  the  Sunday  school  should  not  be  regarded  in  any 
sense  as  a  money-raising  institution.  On  the  contrary, 
its  function  in  this  relation  is  to  afford  opportunity 
for  children  to  be  trained  in  the  art  of  sacrifice  and 
service  by  contributing  systematically  and  permanently 
to  one  or  more  of  the  great  causes  of  the  church. 

Lack  of  educational  organization. — A  church  or- 
ganized for  educational  purposes  is  the  exception. 
There  has  been  great  improvement  in  the  business 
organization  and  management  of  many  churches. 
Organization  for  social  purposes  has  also  witnessed 
much  improvement.  These  lines  of  improvement  are 
a  source  of  much  encouragement  and  there  is  no  dis- 
position on  the  part  of  the  present  writer  to  underesti- 
mate their  significance.     But  the  fact  remains  that  a 

277 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

great  majority  of  our  churches  are  not  organized  to 
take  care  of  the  educational  needs  of  children  and 
youth.  The  evidences  of  this  are  found  in  the  meager 
program,  lack  of  trained  teachers,  and  the  absence  of 
any  semblance  of  effective  supervision. 

FUTURE   DEVELOPMENT 

While  conditions  relating  to  religious  education  are 
far  from  what  we  would  have  them,  the  outlook  is  very 
encouraging.  It  is  apparent  that  a  great  awakening 
is  taking  place.  Churches  are  becoming  increasingly 
conscious  of  the  importance  of  the  task  and,  fortu- 
nately, they  are  not  alone  in  this  recognition.  Public- 
school  officials  and  teachers,  and  other  citizens  who  are 
viewing  the  matter  primarily  from  the  standpoint  of 
education  in  general,  are  coming  to  realize  that  the 
absence  of  the  distinctive  religious  element  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  makes  it  imperative  that  this  defect  in  our 
educational  system  be  in  some  way  corrected.  Agen- 
cies other  than  the  public  school  will  have  to  be  relied 
upon  to  do  this. 

Naturally,  the  responsibility  rests  heavily  upon  the 
church.  Whether  this  responsibility  shall  be  met  by 
each  denomination  acting  as  a  unit  through  its  individ- 
ual churches  or  by  a  coordinated  effort  of  denomina- 
tions through  the  cooperation  of  the  various  churches 
in  a  community,  is  not  in  itself  of  primary  importance. 
The  important  thing,  viewed  both  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  interests  of  the  church  at  large  and  of  society 
as  a  whole,  is  that  an  adequate  program  of  religious 
instruction  be  provided  and  that  it  be  administered 
effectively.  Fortunately,  a  spirit  in  accordance  with 
this  principle  is  being  widely  manifested  and  is  express- 
ing itself  satisfactorily  in  many  communities. 

278 


CONCLUSION 

Increasing  importance  of  the  Strnday  school. — 

The  Sunday  school  is  destined  to  become  increasingly 
efficient  under  the  stimulus  of  the  larger  interest  being 
manifested  in  religious  education.  Its  work  needs  to 
be  conceived  in  more  vital  terms,  its  program  to  un- 
dergo thoroughgoing  reconstruction,  and  its  organiza- 
tion radically  modified  to  secure  more  effective  admin- 
istration. These  things  are  already  beginning  to  take 
place,  and  the  readjustments  will  be  accelerated  as 
the  church  comes  to  realize  more  fully  that  education 
is,  in  fact,  its  chief  function.  That  the  church  will 
continue  of  necessity  to  reform  life  which  has  lost  its 
spiritual  contacts  is  entirely  obvious.  That  it  must 
place  its  emphasis  more  and  more  upon  the  proper 
instruction  and  guidance  of  children  and  youth  in  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  great  vital  truths  of  religion  is 
equally  clear.  Any  program  designed  for  service  to 
individuals  and  society  will  therefore  place  increasing 
emphasis  upon  the  educational  agencies  now  at  its 
command  and  those  which  may  be  created  and  oper- 
ated either  by  itself  or  through  community  cooperation 
in  a  common  program  of  religious  instruction. 

Extension  of  week-day  instruction. —  The  Sun- 
day school  at  best  cannot  provide  adequate  religious 
instruction.  The  work  must  be  extended  in  some  way 
so  that  week-day  instruction  will  be  included.  The 
plan  of  organization  and  administration  of  week-day 
schools  will  differ  in  different  communities  as  local 
conditions  may  require.  Uniformity  in  mode  of  pro- 
cedure is  not  of  primary  importance.  It  is  of  first 
importance,  however,  that  we  have  uniformity  in  aim, 
namely,  that  every  community  in  America  shall  provide 
opportunity  for  every  child  in  that  community  to 
receive  adequate  religious  instruction  as  an  integral 

279 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

part  of  his  education.  In  this  sense,  universal  religious 
instruction  should  be  the  objective  of  all  who  are  in  any 
way  identified  with  the  movement. 

Community  week-day  schools  of  religious  instruction 
constitute  one  of  the  most  important  means  of  attain- 
ing this  objective.  These  schools,  where  established, 
are  securing  results,  in  most  cases,  far  beyond  the  ex- 
pectations of  those  responsible  for  their  organization 
and  maintenance.  The  response  of  both  parents  and 
children  to  the  opportunities  provided,  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  churches,  the  public  schools,  and  the  people 
in  general,  are  most  encouraging.  That  ill-advised  pro- 
jects will  be  undertaken  and  some  mistakes  made  in 
formulating  and  executing  plans  is  not  at  all  improb- 
able. This  will  be  only  incidental,  however,  to  the 
great  forward  movement  now  under  way  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  adequate  program  of  religious  instruc- 
tion as  an  integral  part  of  our  American  system  of 
public  education. 


aSo 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Athcam,  Walter  S. :  The  Church  School,  Chaps.  I,  II, 

III.    The  Pilgrim  Press,  1914. 
Bagley,  W.  C:  Craftsmanship  in  Teaching,  Chaps.  IV, 

V.    The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York,  191 1. 
School  Discipline,  Chaps.  I,  II,  III,  IV,  V,  VI,  VII, 

VIII.     The   Macmillan   Company,   New   York, 

1914. 

Bardner,  Lester :  "The  Gary  Plan,"  Religious  Education, 
February,  191 5,  pp.  42-45- 

Bennett,  Henry  E. :  School  Efficiency,  Chaps.  XII,  XIII, 
XIV,  XX,  XXIII,  XXV.    Ginn  &  Co.,  1917. 

Betts,  G.  H. :   The  New  Program  of  Religious  Edu- 
cation, Chaps.  IV,  VII,  VIII.    The  Abingdon 
Press,  1 92 1. 
Social  Principles  of  Education,  Chaps.  Ill,  IV, 

V.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  19 13. 
The  Curriculum  of  Religious  Education,  Oc- 
casional Papers,  No.  2,  Department  of  Reli- 
gious Education,  Northwestern  University, 
1920. 
How  to  Teach  Religion,  Chaps.  II,  III,  VII,  VIII. 
The  Abingdon  Press,  191 9. 

Bliss,  D.  C:  Methods  and  Standards  for  Local  School 
Surveys,  Chaps.  I,  II,  VI.  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co., 
1918. 

Bobbitt,  Franklin :  The  Curriculum,  Chap.  XIII.  Hough- 
ton Mifflin  Company,  19 18. 

Burton,  Ernest  DeWitt  and  Mathews,  Shailer:  Prin- 
ciples and  Ideals  for  the  Sunday  School,  Part  I, 
Chap.  I;  Part  II,  Chaps.  I,  II,  III,  IV,  VIII. 
University  of  Chicago  Press,  1903. 

Coe,  George  A.:  A  Social  Theory  of  Religious  Educa- 
tion, Chaps.  V,  VI,  VII,  VIII,  XIV,  XVI,  XVII. 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  1917. 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

"Correlating  Religious  Education  with  Public  Edu- 
cation," Religioics  Education,  April  1916,  pp.  109- 
122. 
"Religious  Education  Finding  Itself,"  School  and 
Society,  January  20,  191 5. 
Conrad,   Henry   M. :    "The   Lake   Avenue    (Rochester, 
N.  Y.)  Plan  of  Religious  Education,"  Religious 
Education,  December,  1920,  pp.  312-314. 
Cope,  Henry  F. :  Efficiency  in  the  Sunday  School,  Chaps. 
I,  III,  V,  VI,  VII,  XX.    George  H.  Doran  Com- 
pany, New  York,  1912. 
Religious  Education  in  the  Church,  Chaps.  I,  II,  IV. 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1918. 
"The  Church  and  Public  School  in  Religious  Edu- 
cation," Religious  Education,  December,  1916,  pp. 
566-574. 
The  School  in  the  Modern  Church,  Chaps.  I,  II,  III, 
IV,  V,  VI,  VII,  X,  XVI.    George  H.  Doran  Com- 
pany, 1919. 
The  Week-Day  Church  School,    George  H.  Doran 
Company,  1921. 
Cowles,  Mary  K. :  "The  Van  Wert  Plan  of  Week-Day 
Religious  Instruction,"  Religious  Education,  Feb- 
ruary, 1920,  pp.  26-52. 
Cubberly,  E.  P. :  "Public  Education  in  the  United  States," 
Chap.    II.      Houghton    Mifflin    Company,    New 
York,  1 919. 
"Public  School  Administration,"  Chaps.  VII,  VIII, 
IX,    X,    XIV,    XV,    XVIII,    XIX,    XX,    XXI, 
Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  New  York,  1916. 
Davis,  Dora  A.  and  Stockwell,  J.  S. :  "Developments  in 
Week-Day  Religious  Instruction,"  Religious  Edu- 
cation, June  1 91 9,  pp.  193-207. 
Dennen,  Ernest  J.:  The  Sunday  School  Under  Scien- 
tific    Management,     Chap.     IV.      The     Young 
Churchman  Company,  19 14. 
Dewey,   John:    Democracy   and   Education,   Chaps.    I, 

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II,  III,  IV.  The  Macmillian  Company,  New 
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Dutton,  Samuel  T.  and  Snedden,  David :  The  Administra- 
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Chaps.  XV,  XVI,  XIX,  XXX.  The  Macmillan 
Company,  191 6. 

Haas,  J.  A.:  "Week-Day  Religious  Instruction  and  the 
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Hall,  A.  J.:  Religious  Education  in  the  Public  Schools 
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Harris,  W.  T. :  "The  Separation  of  the  Church  From 
the  Public  School,"  Proceedings  National  Educa- 
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Hartshorne,  Hugh:  Worship  in  the  Sunday  School, 
Chaps.  II,  III,  IV;  Teachers  College  Publica- 
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Henderson,  E.  N. :  Text-Book  in  the  Principles  of  Edu- 
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Hoag,  Victor :  "Week-Day  Instruction  in  Batavia,  Il- 
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Hogan,  W.  E. :  Plans  for  Religious  Education  of  Pupils 
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Knox,  W.  J.:  "The  Public  School  as  a  Factor  in  Reli- 
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McGiffert,  Arthur  C. :  "A  Teaching  Church,"  Religious 
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Mudge,  E.  Leigh:  "The  Psychology  of  the  Week-Day 
Religious  School,"  Religious  Education,  Decem- 
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Seaman,  W.  G. :  "Gary's  Week-Dey  Community  School 

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for  Religious  Instruction,"  Religious  Education, 
October,  1918,  pp.  338-339- 

Sears,  J.  B. :  Classroom  Organisation  and  Control,  Chaps. 
I,  II,  V,  VI,  IX,  X.  Houghton  Mifflin  Company, 
1918. 

Shawkey,  M.  R  and  Snow,  Walter  A. :  Bible  Study  Syl- 
labus and  Lesson  Helps  for  High  School  Students 
in  West  Virginia.  The  James  and  Law  Company, 
Lynchburg,  West  Virginia,   1920. 

Smith,  W.  W.:  Religious  Education,  Chaps.  I,  XXIV, 
XXV.   The  Young  Churchman  Co.,  1909. 

Squires,  W.  A.:  The  Week-Day  Church  School.  Pres- 
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Stout,  John  E.:  "Community  Projects  in  Religious  Edu- 
cation," Religious  Education,  December,  1920, 
pp.  310-311.^ 
Week-Day  Religious  Instruction  Under  Community 
Auspices,  Occasional  Papers  No.  3;  Department 
of  Religious  Education,  Northwestern  University. 

Terman,  L.  M.:  The  Intelligence  of  School  Children, 
Chaps.  I,  II.     Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  1919. 

Tittle,  Ernest  F.:  What  Must  The  Church  Do  To  Be 
Saved?,  Chap.  I,  The  Abingdon  Press,  New 
York. 

Wilson,  H.  B.:  "High  School  Credits  for  Bible  Study 
in  Kansas,"  Religious  Education,  December,  1905, 

pp.  574-578. 

Wood,  C.  A.:  School  and  College  Credit  for  Outside 
Bible  Study,  Chaps.  I,  II ;  Appendixes  A.  B,  C,  D. 
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Woodrow,  Herbert:  Brightness  and  Dullness  in  Chil- 
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284 


INDEX 


Adolescence,  58 

Aims  of  Religious  Education, 

37 
Bible  Study 
Examples  of  credit  for,  119- 

121 
Plans  of  administering,  119- 

122 
Relation  of  Public  School  to, 

116 
School  credit  for,  115 
Board   of   Religious  Educa- 
tion 
Composition  of,  97 
Executive  officer  of,  104 
Functions  of,  98 
Qualifications  of,  97 
Budget 
Method  of  securing,  109,  iio 
Permanent   support   of,    ill, 

112 
Provisions  for,  100 
Sources  of  funds,  107,  108 
Character 

Development  of,  57 
Relation  of  education  to,  57 
Church 
An  instrument  of  service,  13 
Avocations  of,  258 
Demands  upon,  13,  14,  16 
Educational  function  of,  24, 

^  25.  153 

Educational  organization  of, 

277 
Fimctions  of,  14,  24 
Language  of,  17 
Leadership  of,  13 
Preparing  for  service  in  the, 

262 
Program  of,  20,  21 
Recruiting     membership     of, 

^  32-33 

Relation  of  to  state,  29,  30 

Separation  of  state  from,  27 


Service  of  education  to,  32 

Teaching  function  of,  154 

Vocations  of  the,  256 
Church  Membership 

Preparation  for,  33-34,  48-49 

Relation  of  education  to,  33- 
34,  48-49 
Church  School 

Curricula  of,  74,  75,  146-152 

Definition  of,  139 

Factors  determining  program 
of,  142,  145 

Fimctions  of,  30,  31,  32-35, 39, 
65,  70.  76 

Influence  of  Week  Day  School 
upon,  140,  141 

Organization  and  administra- 
tion, 152,  153 

Program  of,  141 

Relation   of  the   Church  to, 

153,  154 

Reorganization  of,  155,  156 

Scope  of  work  of,  142 

Standards  of,  140 

Time  schedule  of,  143 
Classroom  Work 

Supervision  of,  198-200 
Community,  Organization  of, 

85 
Community  Council 
Agencies  at  the  command  of, 

94-95 
Factors  determining  organiza- 
tion of,  88 
Organization  of,  87 
Organization  within  the,  96 
Community  Organizations 
Examples  of,  88-91 
Fundamental     characteristics 
of,  92-94 
Community  Schools 

Buildings  for  use  of,  131,  132 
Curricula  of,  128,  129 
Examples  of,  133-137 


28s 


ORGANIZATION   OF  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


Community  Schools— Cont'd 
Factors  involved  in  organiza- 
tion of,  123,  127 
Financial  support  of,  107 
Formulation   of  program  of, 

127 
Gradation  of,  130 
Securing  funds  for  use  of,  1 10, 

III 
Success  of,  138,  280 
Time  schedules  of,  124,  125 

Curricula 
Aims  determining,  75-76 
Correlation  of,  81 
Organization  of,  80 
Reconstruction  of,  83-84 
Unsatisfactory  character  of,  75 

Education 
Relation  of  to  church  member- 

ship,  32-35 
Religious  motive  in,  28,  272 
Service  of  Church  to,  31 
Social  character  of,  85-86 
Universality  of,  59 

Health,  Relation  of  education 
to,  40,  41 

Higher  Institutions,  247 
Changes  in  policy  of,  250 
Fimctions  of,  250,  251 
Present  curricula  of,  249 

Leisure  Time 

Preparation  for  use  of,  41,  42 
Relation  of  education  to,  41, 
42 

Parents 

Cooperation  of,  225 
Interest  of,  219 

Program 

Adaptation  of,  63 
Administration  of,  64 
Appeal  of,  21 
Extent  of,  64 
Formulation  of,  21-23 
Principles  of  making,  61-64 
Standards  determining,  60,  61, 

62 
Twofold  aim  of,  65-68,  70,  71 
Unified  character  of,  65 

Public  Education 
Aims  of,  26,  37,  38 


Dependence  upon,  25 

Emphasis  upon,  25 

Extension  of,  25 

Lack  of  religious  element  in, 
28 
Pupils 

Attendance  of,  216 

Classification  of,  233 

Elimination  of,  241 

Enrollment  of,  212 

Gradation  of,  227,  228,  229, 
235,  236 

Interest  of,  219 

Management  of,  211 

Promotion  of,  227,  235 

Punctuality  of,  222 

Retardation  of,  239 

Use  of  standards  in  grading, 
230-233 
Religion 

Educational  method  in,  275 

Relation  of  to  education,  26 

Relation  of  to  life,  15 

Relation  of  to  truth,  18 

Social  character  of,  14-15 
Religious  Education 

Administration  of  courses  in, 
270,  271 

Aims  of,  37,  39 

Board  of,  97 

Courses  in,  264-266 

Department  of,  270 

Function  of  in  training  leader- 
ship, 35,  36 

Future  development  of,  278 

In  higher  institutions,  247 

Lack   of   clear    definition   of 
aims,  37 

Lack  of  interest  in,  37 

Neglect  of,  29 

Program  of,  60 

Proximate  aims  of,  49-57 

Relation  of  church  to,  30 

Relation  of  state  to,  30 

Two-fold  purpose  of,  39 

Ultimate  aims  of,  39-49 

Universality  of,  61-62 
School  Discipline 

Causes  of  failure  in,  243 

Functions  of,  244 

Importance  of,  242 


286 


INDEX 


Schools 

Church  training,  176 

Community  training,  172 

Local  training,  171 
Social  Relationships 

Preparation  for,  45 

Relation  of  education  to,  45- 

Social  Task 

Nature  of,  15 

Relation  of  the  church  to,  16 
State 

Relation  of  to  church,  29,  30 

Separation  of  church  from,  27 
Subject  Matter 

Determining  factors  in  selec- 
tion of,  79 

Organization  of,  79 

Sources  of,  76-77 

Types  of,  78 
Sunday  School 

Curricula  of  the,  146 

Distribution  of  time  in,  144, 

145 
Gradation  of  work  in,  150,  238 
Increasing  importance  of,  279 
Organization  and  administra- 
tion of ,  152,  155-156 
Reorganization  of,  147 
Scope  of  work  of,  142 
Time  schedule  of,  71,  72 
Use  of  term,  139 
Supervision 
Functions  of,  194-196 


Methods  of,  205-207 
Principles  of,  202-205 

Teachers 

Aims  in  training  of,  160-163 
Classification  of,  196,  197 
Importance  of  training,  160 
FaciUties  for  training,  158 
Means  of  rating,  189-192 
Means  of  training,  165-170 
Personal  characteristics  of,  189 
QuaHfications  of,  185,  186, 188 
Selection  of,  185 
Supervision  of,  180,  185 
Training  of,  157 
Training  of  in  higher  institu- 
tions, 170 

Teachers'  Meetings 
Causes  of  failure  of,  207 

Time  Schedules 
Extension  of,  71-72 
Minimum,  73 

Vocations 

Preparation  for,  43,  44 
Relation  of  education  to,  43, 

44 
Week-day  Schools 
Curricula  of,  128,  129 
Demand  for,  113 
Extension  of,  279,  280 
Gradation  of,  130 
Organization  of,  113,  122,  123 
Principles  governing,  127 
Program  of,  127 
Time  schedules  of,  124 


287 


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